Waking Up
by Namimakura
Summary: The scars of Aizen's betrayal run deep. How far has his greed really carried him? And what does he truly want with hougyoku? Hitsugaya and Hinamori are still dealing with the wounds from his last attack. What happens when they realize he's just begun?
1. Reflections of the Past

EDIT!!: I'm currently reworking/editing /all/ the chapters of this story in preparation of finishing the outline... which i hope will be sooner as i have most of the plot holes filled in my head! (grins)... so, i has finished this one... there will be some obvious diffs in the convo with matsumoto (who i feel i butcher in this fic, the poor dear), and some sentence structuring differences in the first half... otherwise, the second half is essentially the same, with some minor typo fixes... hopefully this workthrough won't take too long and i'll be back on track with this fic... (sweatdrops) anyway, now you all know i'm still alive and i'm coming back!! (celebrates) hope you enjoy and even more, hope you can review! tell me if it's better now... lol. though if you've already reviewed the old version, i don't think you can again. ah well, any feedback would be welcome. thanks muchly and i'm off to work on chapter two!

Chapter One **Reflections of the Past**

Hitsugaya cursed silently to himself. He cursed that horrible inability to control himself that had caused this mess in the first place. He could easily tell by glancing at Unohana-Taichou's face that she was aware of his secret. Truthfully, it wasn't an excessively hidden secret, but he still preferred that he be the only one aware of its existence. But now, she knew and was determined that he act. She had asked quite clearly. Why did he not speak to Hinamori-fukutaichou? Why did he wait, when she so obviously was waiting for a reason to wake up? He was fractionally confused as to how she did not understand that however. It was as painstakingly obvious as the fact that she knew his deepest thought. Why didn't he speak to Hinamori?

That was easy. Hinamori wasn't looking to him. She was trapped in her own mind and searching for a way out, a _reason _to emerge from her protective shell. The problem was that she wasn't searching for Hitsugaya at all, whether as a taichou or a childhood friend. She was looking for Aizen. The knowledge ate away inside him. She had loved Aizen, purely and utterly, and now was reaching deep in her own soul for a reason to go on living. She needed to know why she was betrayed, but she wasn't going to get it. So without Aizen, she gave up hope. She wanted Aizen to give her her reason. Hitsugaya was his murderer, a villain. How could his words ever reach her?

After all he had done, he knew it was unfair. From the very first, he had always protected her. He had encouraged her and pushed her towards what she wanted. She had no idea how much he had gone through for her. His dedication was unquestionable, and, until now, untraceable. Now she knew. Unohana-Taichou knew that Hitsugaya protected her. She probably knew that he loved that idiotic Hinamori. How could she have fallen for that Aizen! But he knew that too. Aizen was easily everything Hitsugaya was not. She had told him of their first meeting so many times. How he had saved her from the Huge Hollows. How he had been so gentle, telling her how strong she was. Hitsugaya had listened, as he always had, and hated the man from the very beginning.

He paced back and forth in his office. That was his problem lately. He simply couldn't focus on a single topic. His mind followed disjointed ramblings that all led back to Hinamori. His gift and his curse. He blessed the day she found him as the day his whole life had turned upside down. He cursed the day she met Aizen. That was the day she left him for good. He had failed her. Failed her utterly. Little she knew how much he loved her. The naive little fool! Yet he still wasn't sure if he meant Hinamori or himself. He closed his eyes tightly against the pain. A mistake. He saw her again in his mind, her life ebbing away as swiftly as the blood pouring from her side. He saw her body splayed on the hardwood floors, her eyes wide and dull, her blood pooling outward. In that instant, his heart had broken and his mind had snapped. Looking back, he couldn't even clearly recall the next few minutes. Unohana-Taichou said that wasn't surprising, considering his injuries, but he knew better.

The minute he saw her dying on the floor, he had died inside. And in turn, his spirit had lost control completely, subject to the grip of Hyourinmaru's rage. He had died inside, and all because he loved her. Because he had failed to protect her. He had failed to avenge her. He died simply because he couldn't live without her. How could he ever look her in the face again? All he remembered was the blur of icy rage, the spray of blood and Aizen's arrogance. His clearest memory was of lying on the ground, his consciousness slowly fading. He had realized that _this _was what had defeated him. He had wanted to die without her, so he fought to ensure that he would. He almost wished he had succeeded.

The door creaked open and he looked up dully, only just realizing he was kneeling on the floor, staring at the opening fusuma in bemusement. It was Matsumoto. "Taichou?" she asked uncertainly. She was surprised to him sitting there, in a position consumed with emotion. He stood up without responding to her query.

"Yes, Matsumoto?"

"I had some extra paperwork from the fifth division to deliver..." Her voice trailed off uncertainly.

"Thank you. I'll deal with it in the morning." He walked over and removed the papers from her hesitant hands.

"Are you all right, Taichou?"

He looked at her steadily, his expression revealing nothing. He paused for some time, deciding carefully how to answer. "I'm fine, Matsumoto."

She stared at him, gaze piercing. Unreasonably, he felt as if she was analyzing his insides, as if she could read anything and everything in his mind. Trying to decide whether or not he was lying, no doubt. "Then why do you have such large, dark marks beneath your eyes?" She waggled her eyebrows teasingly. He was not amused.

"I don't have time for this, Matsumoto. I have to get to sleep now in order to have enough hours in the day to finish all this extra paperwork."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You do not. You don't expect me to buy that totally implausible lie, do you? Especially when you consider you spent _last _night watching over Hinamori when you didn't think anyone was watching." Her eyes were accusatory, suddenly serious. "And several of the nights before it.

He flinched inwardly, rather shocked to know she had seen him. His external control was perfect however and his voice was perfectly calm. "Go to sleep, Matsumoto." He sighed. "You don't need to follow me around at nights. You need your rest as well."

"Why won't you talk about it, Taichou? About what happened? I know it's not very _you_-like, but you ought to talk to _someone_."

"Because there's nothing to discuss. And I dislike talking. You know that. It's why you spend the day filling silence with chatter." It was his eyes that told her he was finished with the dialogue. Unequivocally. She retreated, a tad bit stung by his refusal and more worried than her slightly light-hearted banter indicated about her Taichou.

He knew where he was going before he exited the doorway. He didn't think about his destination, it was simply automatic. The only source of inspiration he had ever possessed, the only treasure he had ever valued was Hinamori.

Hitsugaya was known among the Gotei 13 as the boy genius. The prodigy. He was by far the youngest captain in centuries. He knew the only person who could come close to understanding why was the ryoka boy, Ichigo. All he needed was the motivation. The proper inspiration.

Since his entrance into Rukongai about fifty years prior, he had known he was different. He had sensed inside a duality to himself. It was as if an entirely (yet not wholly) separate entity lived inside his own mind and understood his thoughts. It even seemed to possess a personality all to itself. Additionally, he was constantly hungry and it was only later that he realized this was unusual compared to the other konpaku. He didn't understand himself, which he found confusing. He kept this knowledge locked inside, knowing how it would seem to others. It was his first conscious act of control over his own personality. It was the first of many. It had not taken long to understand himself. He needed, craved his personal privacy. To that end, his emotions, his motivations and his thoughts were no one else's business. Therefore, it was important to rein himself in at times in order to avoid revealing too much.

His inner personality was always silent. It never spoke, never asserted itself and never acknowledged its identity. He knew it was there, however. It whispered in his mind unintelligible murmurs at random moments, the hissing voice distracting his hearing and focus. He also felt flashes of mood, of some unfulfilled dream or desire yearning deep within himself. Sometimes it was an exultant euphoria, and others it might be some terrifying anger. He didn't understand the motivations for the emotions, but he knew they were not his own and that he felt them to a lesser degree than his inner counterpart. He burned with curiosity to discover what these odd signs might mean. He wanted to know why they were there, what they meant about him. Somehow though, he had managed to shelve his intense frustrations in that area.

He started the day he met Hinamori. The first time he looked into her eyes and admired the curves of her face, he knew he was lost. He knew inexplicably and incontrovertibly that he would be there for her forever. His life would be meaningless without her. Then she had smiled at him and he had felt unaccountably conspicuous. He had looked away, confused by his reactions to her and rather gruff as a result. Instead of being offended by him, she found his tendency to push her away endearing. After meeting her, his center, he had no desire to pursue his other goals. He knew that discovering his other aspect would mean leaving her behind, so he ignored it. He pushed all of those thoughts to the back of his mind because he wanted to stay with her.

He basked in her beautiful innocence and lived on her sheer joy. She never knew how he felt and he preferred it that way. Outwardly, he treated her with a rather brusque detachment that she seemed to find amusing, as if she could see through the shell he presented. He devoutly hoped she could not, but somehow, Hinamori had always seemed to understand him better than he understood himself. She never misunderstood his sarcasm and she always knew when to comfort and when to offer privacy. What she had never understood was his need to protect her. Her image of who he was in relation to her was always connected to a little boy spitting watermelon seeds. At the very least her insistence on referring to him as "Shiro-chan" was proof enough of that.

And then she had had the gall to leave him. He put his whole life away for her, completely unacknowledged while she discovered herself. She discovered her own shinigami powers and was suddenly filled with an overpowering drive to expand, train, learn and otherwise explore that area of her gifts. After he had purposely decided to put off, permanently if necessary, investigations into his dual nature _for her, _the callous abandonment she was completely unthinkable, not to mention a tad bit cruel. He had tried everything to convince her not to go, culminating in his informing that if she left, things could no longer be the same. She would change, he would change and neither would be able to treat the other the same as before. She was choosing to abandon him. She had glossed over his arguments, insisted on her own path and swished out the door knowing that he would accept whatever decision she made. And he had. After all, what other choices were left him?

But the same way that she understood him better than himself, he _knew _her. She was trusting and innocent. Despite knowing of evil in the world, she couldn't see it in people she had already chosen to trust. She loved completely and utterly in a way that struck him as beautiful and incredibly dangerous. All she had to do was misgive it once. How could he protect her from those who would take advantage of all she was if she was miles away, totally beyond his reach? But partly, he knew he was lying to himself.

Somehow, without knowing quite precisely how, he was inexplicably certain that following her, that following the path of the shinigami would lead him to his other self. And with Hinamori no longer around, there was nothing to keep that compulsion at bay. Finally the two forces within him both wanted the same thing. The same goals were present. Both following Hinamori and the pursuit of his inner self led to training as a shinigami. He held off on the decision for a couple of years, not wanting to follow right away. Her obsession with captains, and one in particular, grated heavily on his nerves. Aizen was getting the affection, the devotion, the hope and adoration that Hitsugaya craved from her. And Hitsugaya had been the one beside her, listening to her for all these years! He needed to get out of the little boy mold she had forced him into. To do that, he needed to wait for her to graduate first. He needed to grow up totally away from her so that when he saw her next, her image would be completely new and different. He knew instinctively that it would always be Aizen who was his rival, the one he needed to fight. Hinamori was not the type to change affections constantly and she had chosen Aizen.

Hitsugaya started suddenly, vaguely surprised. Already, he had arrived in Hinamori's sick room. Apparently, he had been too lost in reminisces to notice the journey at all. He was not surprised, however, to find himself standing next to her bed, gazing into her slumbering face. Her dreams were not good this night, that much was obvious. She wasn't moving or struggling, but he could see in the lines around her mouth and the squint of her eyes the endless worry she tried to suffer through. He wished she would wake up. Of course, that would deprive him of these sleepless nights of watching her, but in some ways, the benefits would be worth it. There was no telling how she would react to consciousness however. Would the trauma of her experiences simply blot the memory from her mind? Would she be too insane with grief to cope? Would she still believe him to be Aizen's killer? Could her mind possibly snap beyond comprehension? Or could she possibly realize what scum Aizen had been and actually move through her betrayal? That last was probably too much to hope for. His best guess was some combination of all of them and hopefully mostly that last choice.

He had long ago memorized the burnished shine of her hair in moonlight, the pale glow of her skin in the dim lighting. He knew every curve of her face, the way her body was slowly losing definition as she continued without eating. She had stopped when Aizen "died" and very little nutrition had been gained during her current unconscious state. He was worried about her gradually decreasing ability to survive like this. He said nothing, simply gazed at the only person, the only soul his heart was dedicated to, as if this reality were less real than his memories. His fists clenched and unclenched spasmodically, his mind remembering her smile but his eyes seeing her downcast frown.

Hinamori stirred vaguely, moaning unpleasantly. Her lips murmured quiet whispers he couldn't quite distinguish, despite his straining ears. He would give anything to know where her thoughts were drifting. Any hint as to how she would react upon waking.

He sat down in a chair next to the bed and shyly slipped his hand in hers. Her skin was light and slightly scabbed, and partially rough in texture. It was warm and fitted to his own palm in a way that his mind could only describe as intensely perfect. He couldn't quite understand why he was breaking his own advice by this interaction but his mind was currently ignoring that tidbit of common sense. Part of him whispered, _She's waiting for Aizen. Why are you confusing her with the wrong hand? _The other part answered impatiently, _Shh! Her hand is in mine the way it's meant to be. This is important. _Though he couldn't have answered _why _such a thing would be important. The words poured from his mouth before his mind had realized its individuality.

"Hinamori. Don't give up. Don't let one person destroy you. Come back and rediscover who you are. Decide what truly matters. But don't let it end in your defeat. Put up your own counterattack." He half-smiled to himself. How could he have thought she'd do otherwise? Overwhelmed with grief, she still picked up her sword, controlled her reiatsu, and quite seriously prepared to take on a captain in battle! His Hinamori would never lay down and take such a response. It was only a matter of time. But still...

He had never believed that she would doubt him either. He had never believed that she might turn on him on the word of even beloved Aizen. Him, her Shiro-chan. The person she'd known the longest. The one person she should never have had to doubt. He sighed. He couldn't help but worry about her. It was his favorite hobby and a nightly ritual. He had a feeling if he tried to stop, he'd just have that much more trouble trying to sleep then he did now, when he worried all night.

He released her hand and stood to leave. The later the hour, the greater the chance he would be found. It was far too close to morning. Her turned, striding towards the door when he heard a hacking cough from the bed behind him. He whipped around, staring transfixed at the bed. He had never _imagined_...

Hinamori had her hand raised in a fist to meet her series of coughs and her eyes squinted shut more with each cough-induced shudder. The fit didn't last long and her hand slid back to her side. Her eyes blinked open and riveted on Hitsugaya's still form in the doorway. Her eyes widened just a little. "Hitsugaya-kun?" She shook her head to clear her muddled thoughts and her memories returned with a frightening jolt. "Hitsugaya-kun!" she exclaimed, angrier this time. "Why are you...? Why are you?"

Hitsugaya stared blankly at her, still in a state of disbelief. The mental part of him was clicking into high gear, realizing very quickly that this was going much worse than he supposed it might. His emotions were having a much harder time of piecing everything together.

"You're awake," he blurted somewhat obviously and still very much unsure.

"Yes, I think both of us can see that," was her irate reply. "Why are you here when Aizen-Taichou..." Her voice drifted off into sudden silence and he knew she was remembering the stabbing. The moment when she must have realized all the hopes and beliefs she'd sustained were falsely betrayed. Tears welled up in her eyes but they did not spill over. "GET OUT!" she shouted at him.


	2. The Nature of Dragons

AN: hey, look, chapter's two's edited now. erm, changed a few things, mostly the matsumoto stuff... cuz i /really/ don't like my portrayals of her... so i'm changing those parts the most... still, i think it'd be funny to compare the changed ones with the originals (which are still up on my da account as i've been too lazy to fix them yet... i probably won't until i finish all these updates... all the italics you know). anyway, here's chapter two and three's halfway done... with all luck i'll get two or more up tonight. (grins) review people, and tell me how i did! (loves you all for sticking around)

Chapter Two **The Nature of Dragons**

Instead of being angered by her response, he was frightened. She wasn't angry at him, he knew, but she wanted privacy while her heart splintered into millions of pieces. He needed to say something... something encouraging. "Hinamori..."

"No! No, Hitsugaya!" She spat his name out, hurling it at him with the force of a verbal insult. "Whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it! I won't believe it! I'll never believe a word you say! Get out! Go! What don't you understand!? I don't want you here!" She stamped her foot impatiently, her fury exacerbated by Hitsugaya's complete lack of reaction.

What she didn't know was that he was reacting on the inside enough for both of them. "Why don't you disappear?? Why don't you leave me?? Why?!"

His face devoid of emotion, he responded, "I'm not Aizen, Hinamori." His voice rose with each syllable. "I'm not the one who stabbed you in the back while thanking you for your loyalty!" Each word punctured the wall of fury in Hinamori's face and forced her backward yet another step.

"No! He didn't do it, he didn't do it, he didn't do it..." Her voice trailed off, muttering the repeated sentence as she hugged her arms around herself. "You're wrong! You're lying! I _told _you I wouldn't believe you!" But still, she moaned in despair.

"I didn't come here to ruin your illusions. That's what he did! Don't deny his betrayal! Don't you _dare _let him control you even now, when he failed to kill you."

The tears threatening to fall from her eyes finally did in crystalline droplets, splashing noiselessly to the floor. "Stop it, please... Please, let me wake up and this nightmare be over..." She was no longer talking to him, she was sinking to her knees as her sobs erupted in full force. "Why Aizen-Taichou, _why?_" Her petite frame shook with the torment of her breaking heart, her mind replaying the scenes over and over.

Hitsugaya knelt down in front of her and tilted her chin up. "Listen to me—"

"No!" she hissed back, jerking back from his touch. "Stay away from me! Don't touch me!

I know you murdered Aizen-Taichou! Don't even come near me or I swear I'll..."

"You'll what? You'll slap me? What you could you possibly do to me? What could you possibly do that you haven't already done?" Suddenly his voice had turned self-mocking, his tone bitter. "I've murdered your precious captain, have I? Or maybe the villainous Hitsugaya was so distressed at your evident death that he took it upon himself to seek your revenge? Or maybe you hallucinated that lovely stabbing scene, and Aizen's letter proved my horrible guilt. But he couldn't possibly be truly evil, couldn't be the worst backstabber in the whole of soul society, he couldn't possibly have escaped every single captain in order to turn tail and hide in Hueco Mundo with his hollow allies, could he? Because you can't bear to believe you dedicated your life to a man who didn't care about you at _all_, except how he could use you."

That's when he realized Hinamori was looking at him in a totally new light. She had stopped crying and was staring at him in wide-eyed wonder. "What?" she asked, her voice breathless.

Hitsugaya stared at her, under the distinct impression he was missing something. Something apparently important, considering the hopeful expression on her face. "To which part of that were you asking clarification?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Aizen-Taichou is alive?" Her eyes were lit up, suddenly excited, and Hitsugaya was unexpectedly confronted with the Hinamori of old, before this disaster had fallen. "Is he?" she demanded.

He stared at her, his eyes full of disbelief. "You'd better hope he's not. Because if he is, then I didn't kill him, did I? Which means he's the traitorous piece of filth we all know and thoroughly despise, which apparently you don't want to believe. You're screwed either way though, aren't you?" He knew he was killing her heart with every word, but he needed to say it. His mouth was operating totally outside of his control, telling her thoughts he'd promised himself to never say. She needed to let Aizen go and he needed her to. Or he'd be standing all his life on the sidelines waiting for someone who never intended on coming.

She crumpled before his eyes. "Why do you hate me? Why? I don't understand what I must have done to deserve this." Tears slid down her cheeks once more and she stared disconsolately at the floor.

Utterly unprepared for that reaction, Hitsugaya immediately gentled his tone. "I don't hate you, Hinamori... I—"

"Don't you _dare _call my name! I'm not your friend, Hitsugaya," she snarled into his face.

"Just leave me alone. Leave me alone! I want to be left by myself."

He definitely couldn't follow her constant mood swings. Why, _why_, was she insisting on this irrational prejudice against him? Why did she blame him for Aizen's defection? But such thoughts were for another time. Right now, they were distracting to the main problem.

Hinamori stood up, striking a defiant pose and glaring at him. "Go! Don't just sit there with that dull expression! How many times have I told you that I want you to leave!"

"Hinamori. Shut up." He stood and faced her, refusing to budge and not quite sure why. After all, this conversation was going nowhere.

She stamped her foot. "I will not shut up! Nothing you can do will deter me! Get out of my room!"

"No, I mean you're going to wake everyone up. You're in a clinic and many patients here are worse off than you. Show some respect for what they've endured."

Her responding look was blank and slightly mollified.

"I'll leave now. But Hinamori–don't waste your life on him. Or your sorrow." And with that, he swished out the door, his shinigami robes and taichou's haori rustling quietly together.

She slammed the door shut hard behind him. And burst into heart-wrenching sobs filled with the knowledge of her loss and betrayal.

From Hinamori's room, Hitsugaya went straight to Unohana-Taichou to inform her that Hinamori had awoken and her current mental state as a result. He recommended giving her some time to adjust to her new reality and Unohana wholeheartedly agreed with him, though she decided to keep watch on the fukutaichou's room for the time being.

"But how did she react to seeing you, Hitsugaya-Taichou?" She studied his face carefully, her piercing gaze picking out what he wasn't saying.

He shrugged, unwilling to discuss it with any amount of detail. "I didn't enjoy the experience if that's what you're asking."

Unohana nodded at him compassionately. She knew he wasn't ready to discuss the matter at any significant length yet, but she worried that he would put it off infinitely. Still, now wasn't the time to pressure him.

" If you'll excuse me." He exited her office in a swirl of captain's robes, heading back to his office. Dawn wasn't quite due for another hour yet, but the extra paperwork from Matsumoto might yet prove a sufficient distraction. On the other hand, reversing his decision, he didn't feel up to the monotonous tedium involved in another division's paperwork, especially when said division no longer had a taichou _or _a fukutaichou, though hopefully that last was soon to be corrected. And he most certainly was not about to do Aizen any favors at the moment. If he even had to read that... that _scum_'s name... well, he couldn't be held responsible for his actions.

His control was slipping, faster and faster towards oblivion. The mindlessness was approaching and he needed to be _there _before it came. Unconsciously, he slipped into the quicker shunpo, flashstepping out of the Seireitei. His mind automatically sought out the deserted places of Rukongai, the places he knew were studiously empty and devoid of life. He stopped in one of many barren wastelands, emptiness stretching out from horizon to horizon. More importantly, he knew there would be no konpaku for miles and miles. He fell to his knees, feeling the wild screams erupting inside him, struggling to be unleashed. A frenzied roaring filled his ears and he finally gave in to the calls of Hyourinmaru.

_Dragons innately personify the essence of paradox_, he thought dispassionately to himself. Their needs were simultaneously simplistic and yet full of complexity. For example, a dragon is fiercely independent. It forges its own path and refuses the influence of any outside advice. Its raging terror cannot be subdued and neither can it be manipulated or given orders in any respect. However, it also possesses an intense loyalty and devotion accompanied by a yearning need to bestow said loyalty on something or someone. Hyourinmaru had wholly dedicated his sense of self to Hitsugaya. There was never a question of who his master would be. He knew Hitsugaya in ways Hitsugaya was incapable of even thinking. No flaw would stand in the way of his choice to uphold him. No neglect would ever be enough to cause Hyourinmaru to not support Hitsugaya in battle.

By the same token, Hyourinmaru's assistance and guidance were never conventional. He could not necessarily be counted on to do what Hitsugaya thought was best while fighting. Instead, displaying his characteristic independent streak, he would select an entirely new technique to employ. It had taken Hitsugaya much time to learn how to listen, especially in the midst of battle. It had been fairly difficult getting the hang of carrying on an internal discussion of fighting tactics at shunpo speed while tracking an opponent with equal skills to himself. Hyourinmaru, of course, had been the one to illuminate the best method for doing so. Hitsugaya, even once the technique was mastered, didn't fully understand the mechanism by which it succeeded, but he knew enough to realize the closest explanation was a merging of their conscious thought.

The way Hyourinmaru explained it to him was through visualization. Hitsugaya could close his eyes and see his essence, the parts of him that combined, formed the basic outline of who he was. Interlaced with it was a netting of ice that had, very purposefully, snarled itself into impossible knots. Over time, the ice continued to tangle and melt while Hitsugaya would fuse more and more into the ice until it was difficult to tell where the ice ended and Hitsugaya began.

As a result of the technique, Hyourinmaru and Hitsugaya never needed to talk in words. They merely understood each other, thoughts deeply ingrained on either side and full of complex subtleties that simply couldn't be expressed in words, they understood easily. Hyourinmaru's every emotion, Hitsugaya was also able to feel. It also worked in reverse. Hyourinmaru had dedicated every part of his being to Hitsugaya and vicariously experienced Hitsugaya's life as a result. When Hitsugaya was overwhelmed by the extent of imminent disaster, it was Hyourinmaru who provided the badly needed support and relief. He just took control of Hitsugaya. He had done it when Hitsugaya had seen Hinamori on the floor, stabbed and dying. It hadn't been complete control, but Hitsugaya had barely participated in thought and attention. Of course, the ideal in battle was to have the merge. It was what gave them such an edge in battle, the total unison with which they could fight. The old adage, "two heads are better than one," was extremely apt, especially with a shinigami and his zanpakutou. It hadn't been the best time to swallow Hitsugaya's "self" for a while, but it had been necessary. As a result, the battle had been over before it began. After all, Hyourinmaru was fighting virtually alone and he knew nothing of Aizen's techniques. Which, reflecting back, was precisely how Aizen planned it.

And now, Hitsugaya faced himself at the worst of his failures. He hadn't prevented her from being stabbed. He had screwed up one situation after another throughout the whole ryoka threat. He had trusted Aizen. No questioning idiocy there, despite everyone else having trusted him also. He had hit her in the face. He had been so distracted by his mental analysis that he had forgotten she would still attack him. He should have known she would attack. Even after that, Ichimaru had still nearly killed her. His nightmares just imagining what would have happened had Matsumoto not disobeyed his order were understandably horrific. He had not saved her then either. Following that, when he should have known she would still follow him, he didn't even realize, didn't even predict... It was his fault. He should have known she would follow him. Because of his lapse in attention, she had nearly died. If not for Unohana-Taichou, she _would _have.

But that wasn't the worst of it. He could live with his failures, because, in point of fact, she _was _still alive. It was Hinamori herself that he couldn't live without. And he was losing her. The look in her eyes that morning, the anger in her voice and her stare... She was pushing him away. She was pining for Aizen and pushing Hitsugaya further and further away, rejecting his comfort and even his friendship. He felt her words like knives, stabbing him over and over, blaming him for the loss of her beloved captain. His world was caving in around him, and he succumbed to the frozen mindlessness Hyourinmaru offered.

Hyourinmaru exploded with all the rage and helplessness Hitsugaya was suppressing. Ice shot in streaks in all directions, spraying the earth in glistening shards of imminent death. The entire landscape heaved upturned soil and loose dirt in shimmering waves. Jagged streaks of rampant chaos shredded the rocks and countryside, flashing and glistening in the brilliant sunshine. Sharp ice fragments flew everywhere, stabbing the dirt and shooting through the air, propelled by huge forces of wind. All other sounds were drowned out by the driving winds and the constantly shifting ice. Hyourinmaru screamed, a defiant roar of anguish to the skies, layers of frozen ice covering the prone form of Hitsugaya. He yelled, shouted and roared until his voice was hoarse and the ice smothered the ground in piles and feet, creating a new, glassy forest. He drove his spirit energy onward until there was almost none left, minutes passing in hours. When Hitsugaya regained consciousness and control he was thoroughly exhausted and nearly unable to speak. He stumbled forward about a foot before tripping through into a foot-deep conglomerate of mud and ice. He stared a moment, quite aghast at the vast array of havoc and destruction surrounding him.

With the last vestiges of his spirit energy, he soaked the water deep into the dirt and melted the last of the ice, changing what had once been a barren desert to a deeply corroded expanse of quagmires and wet earth. Beforehand, the soil had been ill-equipped to deal with plant life of any kind, simply because of its nature. It blew easily in the wind, as sand, but was too hard-packed to allow the roots to truly take hold. But now that Hitsugaya had scoured the surfaces deeply, he had altered the whole nature of the soil itself. He had given it water for life and the harsh atmosphere ground the dirt into a more fertile earth for seeds, carefully watered and ready for a new beginning.

He liked to think of it that way. His anguish, despair and lack of control had given a desperate, empty place a new opportunity, a second chance. As always, it came back to Hinamori. No matter his failures, no matter his loss, she was his one constant. In the end, it didn't matter how much she cared, or even that he had not protected her. What mattered most was that she _had _survived, and therefore, he still had another chance to redeem himself. He had time to grow, to train, and to become whatever he needed to become in order to protect his Hinamori.

The reason Hyourinmaru had chosen Hitsugaya was very simple. Dragons tend to seek out their own and so do zanpakutou. Hitsugaya, on the inside, was a dragon. In the same way that Hyourinmaru chose one focus, one goal, one person to dedicate himself to utterly, so did Hitsugaya. And for Hitsugaya, he knew from the moment he met her, that it would always be Hinamori.

So when Hitsugaya plumbed the depths of his own inadequacies, it was his motivation, his muse, his Hinamori that always pulled him free of his self-introspection. It only seemed fitting that, to honour her, he should create something beautiful in return. And so this desert would become a haven. For her.


	3. The First Clues

AN: yo, chapter three rewrite complete!! if you're rereading through the fic, major changes in this chappie include the conversation with matsumoto... it's pretty much entirely different, though the result is the same... it amuses me that hitsugaya's reactions don't particularly change, regardless. lol. anyway, yeah. also, i'm gathering that every rewrite is gonna at least boost me over 3k words per chapter! yum. that's pretty much it... i'm hoping i get some new reviews for the lovely changes... but hey, i know i probably won't. lol. enjoy the reworkedness!

Chapter Three **The First Clues**

His dreams were troubled, merging in and out with reality. Sometimes, the darkness took him and heavy despair rankled his soul. Sometimes he dreamed she lived free. She broke free from her chain of guilt and betrayal and grew wings, flying far away where no one could reach her. He dreamed that she turned her back on him, walking past him and never turning back. Each dream ended with his heart shattering and a deep freezing cold enveloping his senses, smothering his purely emotional reactions for mere minutes before the next dream could begin.

Hitsugaya awoke, head pounding, voice unable to utter the simplest of syllables. He rasped a hoarse grunt before giving up on speech altogether. He stood, leaving the bed, and almost immediately fell backwards, rather instantaneously set upon by an attack of dizziness. The sharp knives stabbing his brain screamed for him to return to sleep and the soreness present in the rest of his body concurred. But his mind could not agree. Once awake, he had no wish to return to the vague, distinctly unpleasant dreams revolving around Hinamori. Besides, he had paperwork too. Slower this time, he rose out of bed, shielding his eyes against the bright sunlight streaming in through his window. His body jerked in sudden surprise. _The sun? Was it that late already? _The sun only shone through his window in the latter half of the day. He had spent far too much time in Rukongai that morning. It had exhausted him. Worse yet, Matsumoto was definitely going to give him problems.

In many ways, he found Matsumoto to be an excellent fukutaichou. When comparing her fighting skills with the other fukutaichous, she ranked high among the list of twelve. He would be hard pressed to say which exactly was the strongest, but he knew Matsumoto was very close to it. She was an excellent, detailed worker (when she bothered), as well as excelling in training the lower level division members. He knew he could count on her in battle and he could count on the men in his squad because he knew she had assisted in their training. She set the standards with her own rigorous methods. Despite all her above average skills, she still had some very major disadvantages. She was goofy, for one.

At first glance, this quality struck one as more of an idiosyncrasy than any real detractor. All souls have their own quirks that can strain relationships, after all. He soon realized that with her, this was not the case. Her goofiness was something of an underlying defense mechanism. In a way, she did enjoy the silliness she indulged in, but she also relied on it as a distraction. It kept others from seeing her too clearly and it also helped her from constantly dwelling on what she didn't wish to. However, she was only ever partially successful in this technique and formed various habits to keep herself thoroughly under control. One of her favorites of these tactics was sleeping. Though her dreams brought her no solace, she did find them distracting for a while, not to mention that her dreams were far more infrequent than Hitsugaya's were. Also, she seemed to enjoy the irritation he expressed at her 'laziness.' Still, at first, even this seemed harmless. But in truth, she slept in excess, wiling away the painful hours in sleepy oblivion. The most annoying part of the whole venture was that her sleeping habits prevented her from staying ahead in her workload. He had been striving to break her of this habit for years, always unsuccessfully. He had tried commanding her to come in earlier nearly every day, to which she always replied in some form of noncommittal noise and then never followed up on his orders.

As a result, Hitsugaya was stuck covering the majority of the paperwork for his division. Generally speaking, he was more efficient at paperwork than she was, and so he tended not to mind, particularly since he found paperwork to be _his _excellent distraction. As a captain, however, he could not let such emotions show. It was important that he prepare her for all eventualities and that included her need to do her own paperwork, should she ever become a captain. Which, essentially, is why he felt it necessary to nag her constantly. After all, if he didn't, she'd never learn. Today, that particular policy of his was not going to bode him well.

After all those years upon years of ceaseless needling, he found himself directly in the same position he had always put Matsumoto in. He could not find it in her to not have something... _witty_, to say in return.

He entered his office purposefully, as if arriving at precisely the correct time, and swished easily into the chair behind his desk. Matsumoto was slumbering softly on the couch near the window, apparently completely ignorant of his tardy entrance.

_Good. Perhaps she won't notice..._

She stirred, and sat up, yawning hugely and stretching her arms high above her head. Her wide, catlike eyes turned, surreptitiously confirming her suspicions that her taichou had indeed been late to work, a first since she had even _known _him.

Hitsugaya sighed. _Thought too soon..._

"A little late to work, Taichou, ne?," she queried in amusement, mouth forming that little 'o,' indicating her playful surprise.

He grunted noncommittally in response, an incredibly difficult task, considering his nonexistent voice and fairly well destroyed vocal cords. His seemingly normal grunt he accompanied with an equally noncommittal shrug. No need giving anything away if he didn't have to.

She frowned, still playful. "Nani? Is my Taichou ignoring me today?" She fluttered her eyelashes in his general direction

He growled internally, trying to ignore her senseless flirting. He attempted to focus on the paperwork in front of him.

"If Taichou wants to be difficult, perhaps I should try a different approach?" she continued, grinning wickedly.

He attempted to ignore the wave of foreboding that swept through him by waving a hand at her dismissively and staring at the sheaf of papers in his other hand. Fifth division shinigami reports for hollow patrols. His eyes narrowed. These were from before the order to arrest Rukia from the human world. Why had it taken so long to follow up on them? Obviously, Aizen had been planning other things, but Hitsugaya didn't think Aizen would have neglected any details because of the need to be as inconspicuous in the matter as possible. He would have kept his record pristine to avoid any semblance of suspicion. It was this immaculate thoroughness that had made him such an excellent captain.

He sighed. This was clearly out of place. He filtered through the stack, realizing slowly that were no follow-up papers, detailing what had happened during the patrol; only the initial report was there. Curiously enough it was out past the 72nd district of Rukongai in what was generally considered the emptiest places of the spirit realm.

What was odd was that the other papers in the stack also described various hollow patrols, excepting that these reports were complete. Each report was comprised of the initial reason for patrol, be it a vague series of complaints, reports of missing persons or other failed patrols. A list of the shinigami assigned to the detail was included, along with why they specifically were requested, should there have been a reason. Directly after that was the follow-up report, describing the patrol in elaborate terms to ensure completeness. All totaled, the only step left was the filing and wrap-up of the reports, usually marked off by the captains. Clearly, after the invasion of ryoka, there hadn't really been time for that. Of the entire stack of about thirty to thirty-five patrol reports, it appeared that this first one to catch his eye was the only one incomplete.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou…" A voice whispered breathily into his ear, voice smooth and deep. "Why is Taichou sooo very late to the office today?" She managed to turn the end into a pout, looking over at him with wide, questioning eyes.

_Oh. _He had momentarily forgotten about his Matsumoto problem. And that he was currently unable to respond to her. Still, this was very curious. Perhaps the papers had just been misplaced. He would definitely have to look into it further. He was very thorough, after all. But first, this. Hitsugaya answered Matsumoto's query with a level, expressionless stare directly into her eyes.

She stared straight back, her gaze fully teleporting her impish curiosity and, hidden behind it, a sincere concern that would not be satisfied with his casual evasions.

He sighed, a hissing, rasping sound effect totally distracting Matsumoto from their odd battle of wills via staring contest.

"What happened to your voice, Taichou? Don't tell me—you _can't _talk?" She gasped slightly, if a tad melodramatically.

Hitsugaya, knowing he couldn't really deny it, nodded in an attempt at nonchalance. Now of course, she would have to know _why_._ At least she wasn't going to bug him about being late_, he thought resignedly.

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously at him. She was looking at him in a way that clearly said she would find out what happened and mock him mercilessly about it if she did. That was always a worry when it came to Matsumoto. "Would this have anything to do with you being late, Taichou?"

_Curse his inability to figure out how she'd react!_ He stamped a foot impatiently and waltzed out of the office, the sheaf of paperwork in tow, deciding it was best to retreat for now, at least until he was able to reply verbally.

"Taichou!" she called out after him, sounding disappointed that their one-sided banter would no longer continue. He thought he might have detected a thread of worry in there too.

It wasn't that he didn't trust her. Or that he was going out of his way to put her out of the loop. Well, it was true that he didn't trust her not to figure out some way to undermine his self-respect, but that was unrelated to the main issue. It was simply that he was a very private person and there were some things he didn't share with anyone, including himself. He certainly wasn't going to reveal the level of the direct bond he shared with Hyourinmaru by telling her why he was currently unable to speak. Nor would he reveal what had driven him to need that comfort. He didn't even discuss his feelings for Hinamori with Hyourinmaru. His feelings existed and they dominated him. He didn't question it, he didn't discuss it, he only followed her with a determination that others were merely unable to comprehend.

And so, Matsumoto tended to be shunted to the side, when in fact, she was one of the few he actually trusted (despite her somewhat childish attitude) and cared for. He did feel a slight guilt, but knew that any of those feelings were fully eclipsed by his need to remain silent. Once again, his refuge was his constant stream of captain's paperwork. He decided that, for the moment, he would chase down this confusing lack in the usual paper trail.

She didn't follow him.

It only took him a few minutes to reach the fifth division's offices and he strode confidently into the empty office of Aizen Sousuke. Suddenly this didn't seem like such a great idea. Still, he was here, he may as well search through some of the reports and continually growing stacks of paperwork. He remembered well how the room had used to look, everything neat and in its proper place. The room itself was square with the doorway positioned exactly in the middle of one wall. The left wall was covered in bookcases floor to ceiling stacked with files upon files of paperwork. Usually it was immaculate, each file placed in an appropriate hanging file, clearly labeled and shelved chronologically and according to subject. Never was there even a single shred of paper out of place. A desk sat, perfectly situated in the far right corner, just enough distance from the wall for slipping easily into the straight-backed chair leaning on the far wall. There was also a small end table, traditionally adorned with a vase a fresh flowers. Adorning the walls were beautiful portraits of various flower arrangements or scenes of nature. All the paintings hung at exquisitely precise angles; the furniture placement was just as exact. Succinctly, Aizen's office presented a pristine example of perfect organization.

Today, it was but an effigy of its former clarity. The flowers on the end table were wilted, dead petals littering the table surface and the carpets beneath it. Millimeters of dust coated the edges of frames and any open surface, including the end table and desk. The files had been gone through hurriedly and rather frequently in the past weeks, resulting in loose papers strewn throughout the room, all of them out of place. Boxes of hanging files were stacked near the bookshelves while some were sticking haphazardly into midair from the shelves. The desk was no longer a perfectly arranged haven of security; it was a maelstrom of lost papers, writing utensils and constantly stirred up dust.

Hitsugaya hated it. Each glance brought to mind images of Aizen's former glory. Every time he entered the despised office, he saw Aizen working there, smiling benignly as he always had. It was either that, or he could clearly imagine him seeing the ridiculous clutter and being set upon with the immediate need to reorganize the office in order to correct the problem. None of these images were pleasant as they all brought to mind his most hated enemy and the largest obstacle between him and Hinamori. _Hinamori..._

He shook his mind to clear the quite detestable scenes and refocus on the reason he was here. Hitsugaya had actually been relatively close to Aizen, at least on a professional level, and had had many opportunities to work with him in this same office. These past experiences gave him a rather fortunate knowledge of the layout of paperwork. He knew precisely how Aizen organized all his papers, and therefore, it took him only minutes to locate the appropriate section. It didn't take him long to realize that all the filed reports on hollow patrols, particularly around that area, were all dated earlier than the unfinished report from his stack. In fact, after reviewing further and further back through the files, he realized that it had literally been decades since that area had been patrolled at all. Frowning to himself, he decided to try a different approach.

He searched among the unfinished files for any mention of the shinigami that had gone on that particular patrol. About four hanging files worth of reports later, Hitsugaya conceded defeat on that angle. Before this mysterious report, which was becoming stranger and stranger, all the listed shinigami appeared normally among the various reports; in other words, they went as regularly as befitted their station in the squad. Afterwards, they had performed a miraculous disappearing act, never going on another mission of any type. On a hunch, Hitsugaya tried the other jobs divisions occasionally indulged in and once again, turned up nothing. Of the remaining follow-up missions, there was no mention of the missing division members, nor of a return expedition to conclude the first. Nor were there any complaints regarding missing shinigami that hadn't turned up for duties. Hitsugaya had hit an impasse. There was nowhere else to look for information. The paper trail was totally and utterly cold.

Something was definitely wrong with the report. He sat still for a moment, considering his next course of action. The first thing to do would be to track down the missing shinigami of course. He would need to know where they lived, who they had known, and who had noticed their apparent disappearance. He stroked his chin thoughtfully, considering.

He stood up and slid easily into the chair behind the desk. _If I were Aizen, where would I keep my secret, valuable papers? _Though admittedly, it was not likely they'd be in his office, let alone the obvious choice of his desk drawers, he was not going to let any possibility slide by unchecked.

The first drawer he opened was the flatter drawer right above the chair area and centered in the middle of the desk. Inside was the remnant of what had once been a clearly organized array of writing tools and was now currently a jumbled mass more closely resembling a game of pick up sticks. Clearly nothing useful in that drawer.

He then opened the drawer in the bottom left, where he remembered Aizen kept all his personal files regarding his own rising through the shinigami ranks. Despite his personal hatred of the man, he would eventually need to gain an understanding of him in order to fight him adequately. He unlocked the drawer, half anticipatory and half resentful that it was necessary. He opened the drawer. And stopped. And gasped in shock.

_The drawer was empty._

He knew Aizen hadn't bothered emptying it, even if he had altered its contents because he had seen the drawers open since his departure. _All of Aizen's personal files..._

Hitsugaya quickly opened the other drawers. Each were in varying stages of emptiness, though the papers left behind did not relate to Aizen so much as they did other shinigami he had taken an interest in. Hitsugaya stared, his mind hitting a brick wall.

Everything, _everything _they might have known about Aizen, his past, and his abilities... _All of it_ was _gone!_


	4. Assignments and Important Steps

AN: Ummmm... I lied? apparently all the rewrites /won't/ necessarily break 3k... seeing as this one doesn't. lol. anyway, it's probably cuz i didn't need to change much. just little bits here and there mostly. all right, i think i'm gonna go sleep now, but hopefully you guys will stick around to enjoy the rest! also, i /do/ love reviews... so any given would be so welcomely received! (loves you all) until next time! (gah, ten pages!(shudders)).

Chapter Four **Assignments and Important Steps**

Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryuusai sat calmly in his soutaichou's chair, continually steepling his fingers together in a wave motion, contemplating the disasters that had befallen his Soul Society. Three captains had deserted. What was worse was that they now turned against Soul Society. The powers of Aizen, due to his nefarious deception, were virtually unknown and obviously of superior strength than most captains. He held some doubt that the other two were quite as skilled at hiding their true abilities but one could never be too sure, especially in the case of such villains. Nine captains, not including himself, against the three deserters did not bode well to him, especially considering the additional hollows they would have to face. He would have his hands full facing the Gillian, allowing no room for him to assist the others. And could they even truly work together, the way that would be necessary in this war? Hopefully it wouldn't get that far.

Quite possibly the worst loss, however, was the loss of Central Room 46. Despite his own position as figurehead of the Gotei 13, he himself did not handle most of the major decisions in government. The body existed in order to counteract that very idea; that he could act as a dictator over Soul Society. Also, it would have been nearly impossible for him to handle the incredible workload of both Central 46 and his own, which was already immense. It was a logical way to split the power and govern not only Seireitei but the whole of Rukongai. Now the entire group was gone, murdered.

This left Genryuusai with two problems, the first of which was that, in the interim, he was expected to act in their place, creating exactly the overwork they had tried to avoid. For the moment, he had very nearly absolute power in the afterlife.

The second problem was the immediate need to replace Central Room 46. New members needed to be chosen in an unbiased way that would guarantee fairness and legality in the future. Usually, as a council member reached the end of his soul span, whether to be reincarnated or reach a final rest, he would choose an appropriate successor who would also be appointed for life. However, seeing as how none of the former members had had a chance to select a successor, how were they to arrange a new council? New rules were needed, at the very least to jump start the council once more, to which end a committee had been formed.

In the meantime, it was up to Genryuusai to make all major decisions and approve motions. Which was why, instead of doing something more productive, he was now listening to the recent discoveries of Hitsugaya Toushirou, something that normally would have gone to the Central Room.

"Yamamoto-dono, all of the papers regarding Aizen's schooling and ascendancy to captainship have disappeared! I don't know how many could have known where they were located, but what if it was one of his spies, left behind to wrap up his loose ends? I think it's important to investigate the matter further, to find out where the papers are and who took them—"

"Calm yourself, Hitsugaya-Taichou. Certainly such a matter would be of grave importance if it were unknown. However, they were not removed, they were simply confiscated. I do not think Aizen would have left anything important in them, but I would not leave such a possibility to chance. I myself have hidden them away in a location unknown to others. They are most likely worthless, but I will not take that chance."

Had he been alone, Hitsugaya would have been tempted to slap his forehead, cursing his own stupidity. Being in the presence of the lead captain, he didn't even consider it, but all the same, he knew he should have considered the possibility that the papers had been confiscated. The instant conclusion is not necessarily the accurate one. However, more curious than that...

"Ah, you are wondering why I explained it to you so easily if I suspect that there may be spies. It is because, despite Aizen's defection, I still know who would not be a spy. I have watched you from your very first entrance to the shinigami academy as you climbed all the way to captain. Though you may not like to hear it, you _are _still a child and therefore, easy for me to understand. I know you are not the spy. Actually, you were the only one looking for the true answers before, which is why I believe you'd be an excellent asset. I would like it if you, on a confidential level, would investigate this matter in detail. I am unable to, simply because of the current hole in Central Room 46. If convenience hadn't sent you down here today, I would have summoned you in to get your confidential assignment."

Yamamoto-soutaichou gestured to a folder resting on his desk, indicating that Hitsugaya should take it with him.

Now more puzzled than ever, Hitsugaya took the proffered folder, surprised that he was apparently held in such high regard, particularly in view of such an important task. It didn't really make sense, given his youth and inexperience, though his tensai status may seem to cancel out those disadvantages, he didn't particularly think they would. Or perhaps he was simply doubting that he was the best choice. He gave himself a firm mental shake, instructing his psyche to pay attention.

"The absolute need for secrecy is paramount in the extreme. No one must know what you are doing, or that your assignment exists. Not Hinamori-fukutaichou, nor your own vice-captain. Do you understand?"

"You want me to determine what Aizen's plans are now that he has obtained Hougyoku, is that it? In absolute secrecy, of course..."

"Good. For now, you must leave so as to avoid suspicion."

Hitsugaya nodded absently and slid the weighty folder into his shihakushou, out of plain sight, exiting the office. _What did Genryuusai-dono suspect? _He didn't know, not yet, but he had a feeling if he didn't find out soon, things were going to deteriorate before he even realized why. There was too much that Yamamoto wasn't telling him. At the very least, his next step in this mystery was quite clear. He must make sense of the strangely unfinished paperwork that had started this whole debacle, resulting in his sudden new duty. He tried to shrug off the feeling of foreboding hanging over him, but was brilliantly unsuccessful in said endeavor.

Still, it was too late to investigate any further tonight, if the dawning twilight was any indication. Too dark to give the area a thorough inspection and too dangerous considering an unknown hollow was likely hidden there. He stared up at the night sky from his room's balcony. _The stars..._

They shone beautifully, a guiding star to those lost in the darkness of Rukongai. With a sharp stab of anguish, he suddenly felt his own need for his personal guiding light_. _

_Hinamori... _He missed her. In a strange way, he had been missing her from the moment she had joined the shinigami academy. From that point on, she had never been the same. She had become this… this _giddy _school girl who no longer even _looked _at him. She didn't look at him with true eyes, she simply glanced in his direction, mind always elsewhere. In reality, he was practically invisible to her; Aizen had become her whole world. And now the situation had only worsened. Despite everything, Aizen was still dominating her. The thought burned and smoldered inside him, smoking hot and angry. _My star_, his mind raged. _No one can have her but me!_

He knew, inexplicably, that he needed to see her. Right then, in that very instant, his heart cried out, the call impossible to ignore. His mind tried to fight the sudden intensity of the need with inescapable logic. He needed sleep. He hadn't slept in the two weeks since she'd been stabbed. He needed to be ready and prepared for the investigation suddenly looming on his horizon. But his heart overrode all his accurate objections, and he found himself standing outside of the building where her room resided before he'd even realized he'd moved at all. Because she was awake now, she wouldn't want to see him, so he was definitely barred from his typical nightly visits. A mere hint of his reiatsu would surely rouse her from whatever sleep she had managed to find. He would have to settle for a farther away view of her moonlit beauty.

_The window_, he decided. It wouldn't be quite far enough, but he, too, was skilled at hiding his reiatsu. And he was a captain. It was the only real option available out of the remaining possibilities. His quick flash step brought him immediately to her precious windowsill, her curtains drawn wide to let in the starlight.

Her breathing was deep and even, chest rising and falling in a calm and peaceful sleep. Her whole body lay still in easy relaxation, dreaming good dreams. He felt an unfulfilled longing rising deep inside him, yearning to reach out, to be a part of her dream. His body did not move, locked in a stasis, fearing movement may ruin the moment, but wishing more than anything that he was part of her pleasant dreams. She stirred briefly, moaning slightly. Hitsugaya jerked involuntarily, allowing his mind wander, just momentarily, imagining that it was he she dreamed of. But his bitter self-recriminations informed him rationally that it was more likely she dreamt of the "good old days," when her Aizen-Taichou was no traitor. In these moments, with no one watching, his face surrendered unconsciously to the agony inside him, twisting into unutterable longing. This time she would be safe! He was determined that she be safe, in body and in heart. He could care for her in so many more ways than she had ever let him. He couldn't help but relive his failures over and over in his mind. He stared at her now, weak, malnourished and gravely injured, thinking only of how if he had acted differently, perhaps everything would be different now.

If he had been honest from the very beginning, told her how he felt and protected her... His mind drifted at the possibilities. But no, he had been a child then, as had she. She would not have understood his intentions. It was just so unfortunate that she had to idolize the _worst _shinigami she could have found. Why couldn't she have chosen Ukitake? Now _there _was a good man who would never have betrayed her that way, if his attitude towards only a minor subordinate was any indication. He sighed to himself, knowing that this line of thought was pointless. Rather, he should be considering how best to counter his errors from before. He must foresee Aizen's actions as Aizen had done for them, in order to avoid both the same mistakes and new ones. He struggled to think, to concentrate.

He needed to be stronger, to train and develop his secret techniques that none had seen save Hyourinmaru. Certainly, other circumstances had interfered with his fight with Aizen, but, assuming he could remove them in the future, he would need his own unexpected advantages. Thinking along those lines, he would also need allies. In the same way that Aizen had had surprising helpers and he had been alone, so would he need to be the next time. This assignment from Yamamoto-dono was already turning out to be far more complex than he had originally thought. Even if such ideas were not directly related to the original purpose, he knew that the course he was following would eventually lead to such needs.

The most immediate action he would take would be to more closely uncover the results of the unfinished patrol report. He had already reached a dead-end in the paper trail. His next choice would obviously need to be going to the site of the patrol itself. However, his new assignment complicated that a bit. Because nothing was known about the hollow—ergo, it's abilities and power level—it was best that he have back-up, or, at the very least, a reconnaissance patrol as an initial step. However, he was forced to forego these possible essentials because of the soutaichou's special conditions. He was not allowed to discuss his mission with anyone. At minimum, he would have liked to take Matsumoto, but even that was specifically denied him. The need for secrecy was far too high.

Hinamori whimpered in her sleep, the sound deafened by the intermediary window, but her resulting movement catching Hitsugaya's eye. He stared as the corners of her eyes crinkled in sudden distress, her limbs writhing in agitation under the sheets. She cried out, the sound barely registering in his ear through the window, yet crystal clear in its emotional torment. Her sweet dream had turned sour. He watched her with helpless teal eyes locked onto her tortured face as she began to twist and turn more urgently. She was tangled in the sheets, constraining her movements more and more while trying to flail wilder in some dream-inspired attempt at escaping an unknown horror. She screamed again, louder this time, and the piercing terror in it ate at his very soul. He was forced to shunpo very quickly away as Hinamori finally screamed herself into consciousness.

It took him only three flashsteps to reach his room. His night had been cut short by dreams. His muse... He closed his eyes to the memories. It was time he got some sleep of his own. And perhaps he would dream of the days he had left behind, the only pleasant days he could remember for some time. Now that Hinamori was awake, everything had changed. He could no longer see her, no longer watch her sleeping peace. She blamed him for what was Aizen's doing and therefore, left him alone, lost without the comfort of her presence. _Hinamori, how long before I can call you mine?_


	5. Too Much To Lose

AN: YAY! chapter five edit up! actually, i was pretty happy with this chapter, looking back on it, so there aren't too many changes... a couple typos here and there... mostly i italicized more stuff. anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter, as usual! think i might go off and chapter six now, but you never know. mayhap i'll work on my juvenile orion fic... 'til next time!

Chapter Five **Too Much to Lose**

When dawn's first rays curled over the edges of the horizon, Hitsugaya was already far beyond the outer boundaries of the Seireitei. The streets were bare and empty, but seemed to glow slightly in the morning fog. The peaceful stillness in the air calmed his anxious conjectures on the numerous possibilities, bringing him securely into the proper focus of the moment. He was glad he had chosen his time of departure so wisely. It was only as the first konpaku were rising for the day that he left the villages behind him. His perfect memory reminded him of the less than detailed instructions he had yet to follow and he slowed down, knowing he was approaching his target. _Something…_

His reiatsu had sensed something, a kind of foreboding in the air from somewhere near, but he could not see it. It was puzzling because there was nothing, and yet, the sense persisted. He employed careful, thread-like feelers that stretched before him, cautiously testing the air before he could reach the next area. Gradually, the plain and wild scrubland began to change. Occasional trees dotted the landscape, growing thicker in density as he progressed. Vines and other various flowering plants grew intermingled with the lower brush, transforming more and more as the miles passed, into jungle. The greenery surrounding him was utterly suffused with a haunting brilliance, filled with shadows and stray patches of sunlight. Hitsugaya noted its rather ethereal beauty but also, its distinctly sinister aura. He shuddered, despite the warmth. The foreboding was now all around him, a vague stirring of unease with no source. Somehow, impossible though it seemed, he suspected a trap awaited him somewhere ahead.

It was hot. The further he traveled, the hotter he became, his clothes sweating faintly. The sun beat down from overhead, and, though blocked mostly by the great trees rising high above, it still managed to sneak the oppressive heat past the leafy branches. The morning progressed and still, he walked on. It seemed as if he had been strolling the forest for hours with no sign of his destination. He was not entirely certain where this destination might be, but he knew, instinctively, that he must pass through the forest, or to the heart of it, to get there. Still, his reiatsu-feelers detected nothing new. Only the same, nagging foreboding pressing in around him.

_Where was it? _He knew there was a hollow somewhere. He could sense it, not only with his reiatsu, but every sense he possessed screamed that he was being watched. The nervousness was eating at him, the anxiety, and he knew that it was not his own anxiety but a forced impression via this nameless entity. He gritted his teeth, irritated. This forest had to end soon! He flitted easily to the top of large tree, looking out on a sea of leafy waves, tossing in the eddying winds. He could see no clearings, only green, from horizon to horizon. Coming to rest once more on the forest floor, he contemplated the idea that he was merely circling the same stretch of forest. Perhaps that was this hollow's ability. But, he contradicted, how would he catch his prey? Convince them lost until they finally slept in weariness? An empty skill against a group of any size greater than one. Intuitively, he knew that this hollow was too important for such a simplistic ability. No, something far more daunting awaited him than that. He moved onward.

It was nearing midafternoon when Hitsugaya started suddenly, having very nearly just walked off a cliff. The cliff in question dropped off quite steeply into a narrow gorge, rocky and very visibly unstable. On the opposite edge, a sudden-and rather loud-crack resounded, followed by a sheeting spray of pebbles and rocks down into its interior. So he had been right. A well-laid, impossible to avoid trap. Obvious, yet still unavoidable. He sighed. His reiatsu feelers had finally picked up the source of sinister foreboding that had emanated throughout the entire forest nestled deep in the western end of the tiny gorge. The gorge itself only stretched about two miles long west to east and less than half that across. The sun had just begun its evening descent into the western sky and Hitsugaya's eyes had already begun burning under its intensity. The forest, the gorge, all carefully planned delays in order to force his arrival into the most advantageous time. There was no real knowing why this was a better time (though he would have bet it had something to do with the extremely annoying bright sun in his eyes), but he had been clearly manipulated all the same. That being said, he would still need to take his time trekking down the steep interior of the gorge. Any slight misstep could easily cause an unpleasant rockslide to bury him alive. He sighed at the inevitable tedium of the situation. He knew that at any point in his descent he could be attacked, but his instincts told him that the hollow felt no need to do so. This hollow could and would wait him out.

He started down the cliff-side. After a couple minor slips, he realized that he required his full concentration in order to pinpoint the safe points on which to step. Each step was carefully calculated and weighed before follow-through was possible. The sun was just passing out of sight by the time he reached safe ground. He paused, considering his options. Undoubtedly, the hollow had known he was here from the moment he had begun his entry into the unnatural forest. There was no point in pretending both of them did not know that. However, Hitsugaya was not interested in a fight. He was certainly walking straight into one, but his main goal was the information the hollow possessed pertaining to the missing shinigami. He would have to test the waters.

"Hollow?" Hitsugaya called out to the shadowy cave. "I would like to request your assistance in a particular matter."

"A polite shinigami? How rare." The hollow's voice was low, textured soft like velvet and smooth as honey. "I can't guarantee cooperation. It is rather against our nature you know."

Unexpected. Hitsugaya nearly started with surprise. The hollow sounded cultured, educated. Even more shocking was the definite air of _courtesy_ it seemed to be trying to convey. The hollow was right, it _was_ against their nature. He narrowed his eyes, considering. "There was a team of shinigami sent out here recently. What happened to them?"

The dark shadows chuckled sinisterly. "What a foolish question, shinigami. Don't you know? I ate them."

Hitsugaya could almost see the feral gleam of vicious teeth, hear it in the undulating rhythm of the vile creature's voice. He clenched his teeth, forcibly reminding himself that the hollow was purposefully baiting him. By sheer indomitable will, he resisted his instincts to take immediate vengeance for fallen comrades. "You are no ordinary hollow."

"Perceptive," it purred at him mockingly.

"What is Aizen Sousuke after, allying himself to the Menos? What does he gain that only they can offer?"

"You _are_ a foolish shinigami. Quite obviously, he gets power. Unrivalled, unquestioned power. Who would not kill for such a thing?"

Hitsugaya was quiet for a moment. "I don't think I believe you. There are ways to pursue power, but I cannot believe that a man like Aizen would seek power for its own sake. Such a complex, devious soul must have an equally unforgettable goal. And I believe, that for one reason or another, you know what it is."

The hollow paused. "Well, well, well, what do you know….. Aizen was right again. You are smarter than I would have given you credit for. Very well. I will make a deal with you shinigami. We fight. If you win, I will reveal whatever it is you ask of me, if I do know its answer."

Hitsugaya considered it briefly. His response was slow and measured. "But what if you win?" There was no reason for it to agree so quickly unless it believed the advantages far outweighed what might be lost. Either that, or it planned on lying to him. He did not like either option.

"Ah, but there you go again. Asking the obvious questions. What else would I want? I want you to join us. Become one of us."

The cold chill following this announcement sunk deep into his bones, unnerving him. _Me? _There was clearly more going on than was evident. _What do I have to do with anything? _The only way to find out was to win, if he was willing to take the risk.

"What guarantee do I have that even if I win you'll tell me the truth?"

"None, shinigami. There is no way for you to trust me. But you have no choice." The dark air stirred and clouds passed before the stars. "However, if I lose, there is no longer any true life for me among my own kind. They will kill me for my failure. How else would I stay alive but to ally myself with my enemies? I will tell you the truth. _If_ you win, and that is a mighty if."

Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes into the blank darkness of the cave. The terms themselves were not incredibly problematic. After all, all fights involved risk and the possibility of imminent death. No, the real issue was dealing with hollows as if he expected them to keep their word. By the same token, the hollow was still right. Essentially, he had no choice. In answer, he drew his sword from the sheath strapped to his back. It came free with a smooth _shing_, glinting in the moonlight.

The hollow's instant attack was swift and testing. Sharp claws, three per hand, slashed at him from the darkness. Hitsugaya backed up within a hairsbreadth of the dangerous blades, countering with a slash from his own blade. A cool breath of frost hazed the blade, seeping onto his enemy's hands. The hollow hissed in annoyance and suddenly began attacking in a frenzy. Hundreds of claws pressed in on him, scratching at his face, his clothes, whatever part of his body was most easily accessible. Hitsugaya tried responding by first blocking the array of sharp distensions but quickly realized that such a strategy was impossible. Thinking swiftly, he concentrated his reiatsu into a single focal point within himself, compressing it to the smallest size he possibly could. In the blink of an eye, he blasted it outward, flinging away the offending arms. There was silence.

"You are interesting, shinigami. Very interesting."

A bit of starlight flickered in and out off his zanpakutou. With the suddenness of a crack a thunder, a flash of brilliant, intense whiteness seared his vision, blinding him with its luminescence. In that instant, the hollow forcefully thrust a short dagger straight through Hitsugaya's lower back, burying it to the hilt. Hitsugaya cried out, arcing forward, while simultaneously shifting his grip on the sword to stab it backwards. He turned, pushing backwards into the hollow with the centrifugal force fueling more power into his thrust. The hollow danced to the side, managing only a slight cut in the side. Hitsugaya's eyes had been adjusting to the darkness but now was twice as blind, rushing in to attack. He could rely only on his ability to sense reiatsu, which had been mostly true in any case.

The pair of them were truly fighting in earnest now. Locked in combat, the two dodged, feinted and parried with careful and precise skill. The hollow had the distinct edge it needed to offset the slightly better skill of Hitsugaya due to its comfort with the territory. It balanced the fight to just even. After the initial thrust in his back, Hitsugaya was able to avoid any further deep wounds. The blades glittered off reflecting lights, clanging together briefly before coming together once more. The struggle seemed to last hours, neither gaining advantage or dealing serious injury. The weariness seemed to seep into Hitsugaya's very bones. _Would the melee never end? _The tiredness was overwhelming. He knew he needed to end the battle soon. It was only when he began to blink that he realized something was truly wrong.

It came as an explosion, deafening him and shaking his equilibrium from the center radiating outwards. The sound was blaring, screaming in his ears and he couldn't think, couldn't see, didn't feel. Everything was thrown off with the reverberations of gargantuan tidal waves of noise still echoing in his beaten ears. It was a physical pain, drilling his head in circles, quite similar to the pounding of a jackhammer at three hundred times the power. He dropped to his knees, not knowing he was crying out, only wanting the immediate sound to dissipate.

When it finally did end, Hitsugaya reacted instantaneously in a reckless fury. His fist struck the hollow just under where mask met flesh as Hitsugaya leapt into a standing position, grabbing his sword and all in a single, fluid motion. He barely realized his ears were bleeding as called forth his shikai.

"Soar in the frozen sky, Hyourinmaru!" His shout was hoarse but undeniably full of authoritative vigor.

The water-ice dragon burst forth from the sword-tip into the sky with a humongous roar to fill up the night. At the same moment, a fine mist began to drizzle. Hitsugaya smiled to himself grimly. _Time to pull out all the stops_, he thought in irritation. This fight was definitely turning out more…. interesting than he expected. _Bad choice of words_, he laughed humorlessly.

_**Are we getting on with this or not?**_

_Sorry, he's just tricky is all. We don't want to kill him, remember._

_**Right.**_

Leaping into the air using shunpo, Hitsugaya charged the hollow dead on. It scuttled backwards, straight back into it's cave, recognizing the inherent freezing possibilities and that it was not quite as fast as the deadly dragon.

_Drown it_, Hitsugaya ground out.

_**Obviously. Yet somehow it retains confidence that it will be safe. There is a trick here.**_

Hitsugaya grit his teeth. _Dragons._

_**You're just lucky I'm always right.**_

Hitsugaya continued his charge, the dragon obliging his request to flood the cave system. Hitsugaya stayed outside while Hyourinmaru investigated the various caverns in search of the hollow in hiding.

_**Interesting. The ice cannot reach him.**_

_What? That doesn't make any sense. How did he get there if that's the case?_

_**He must be able to manipulate the rock.**_

_How many gifts does this hollow _have_? _he thought sarcastically.

_**Not as many as he seems. There's a principle to it. I think you'll have to lure him out. Bait him, if you will.**_

Hitsugaya stopped to consider that for a moment. _Fight without you? I don't like it._

The amused irony in Hyourinmaru's attitude was evident. _**You don't have to. That still hasn't changed, you know.**_

_Thanks for that,_ was Hitsugaya's dry response.

He sheathed Hyourinmaru disgustedly. And waited. The ludicrousness of the situation was getting to him. Fighting against a hollow in its home territory with no backup and unable to use his zanpakutou merely because the hollow could effectively hide from it. It was pathetic. More accurately, it was pathetically annoying. He blew at the single wisp in front of his face exasperatedly. The ground beneath him rumbled unexpectedly. _Great_.

The rocks erupted just slightly behind him in shower of various-sized bits of rocky debris. He flipped backwards, drawing his sword as he did so to block the approaching blades.

"I don't like having to run that way," the hollow snarled at him furiously.

"Then maybe you shouldn't have," Hitsugaya countered smoothly. "Would have made it easier for me."

The hollow ignored that completely as he rushed in to engage in another session of locked combat. "I'll punish you for that."

Hitsugaya didn't even bother dignifying that with a response. Too pointless. Admittedly, the hollow's new onslaught was ferocious and Hitsugaya was weakening. The amount of blood loss sustained through various injuries was becoming ridiculous. Gathering the fraying edges of his reiatsu, he called to mind one of the dreary chants he had learned as a student, shouting unexpectedly towards the relatively surprised hollow.

A blast of incandescent blue light exploded through its face, knocking it thoroughly backwards, sliding unpleasantly across the rocky gravel. Elsewhere in the ravine, it could be heard to have started a few rockslides. Hitsugaya capitalized on the hollow's disadvantage in position, using shunpo to close in with his sword. The hollow barely managed getting to his feet and narrowly missing the brunt of Hitsugaya's attack. Hitsugaya swung the chain scythe to compensate, painstakingly amputating a clawed arm.

The hollow screamed as the scythe returned to Hitsugaya's feet. The sound covered the night, breaking into Hitsugaya's ears, mutating into the strident, ear-splitting noise from before. He wasn't even aware of beginning to scream, let alone the dropping his weapon and falling to his knees. Blood flowed freely from his ears and his mind could think of nothing but the blank pain inspired the towering cacophony. The deep howling wrenching itself from his chest couldn't be heard over the horrifying uproar produced by the hollow.

Hitsugaya didn't feel the hollow tackle him to his back, ultimately pinning him to the craggy ravine floor. He didn't taste the blood in his mouth as the hollow pummeled him mercilessly. He felt nothing as the hollow carved bits of flesh out his shoulder with its bladed fingers. He didn't feel the steady trickle of blood oozing from his ears or the strength draining from his limbs. He didn't feel the gradual fading of his reiatsu. Only when the hollow was certain Hitsugaya was too weak to move did he release the excruciating tintinnabulations.

Hitsugaya came back to reality in an instant, needing no explanation for his current predicament. He was definitely in trouble now. He was weakened, the hollow was literally on top of him and his weapon was yards away. He was helpless. He coughed, spitting up blood. His body was stinging everywhere and his breaths were but ragged gasps for air.

"I have defeated you," the hollow rasped triumphantly into his ear. "You are mine."

Hitsugaya struggled to get up. He struggled to think of a plan. He struggled to move at all.

The hollow laughed at the fruitlessness of his actions.

Nothing. He could think of nothing to save him from this. An overwhelming sense of despair washed over him. He had failed everyone. He had failed the soutaichou. He had failed the whole of Seireitei. Wasn't he supposed to uncover the truth? To protect them from Aizen's madness? He had even failed the numerous souls of the Rukongai. It was a hard thing, to realize that he had failed every soul in existence. He felt the weight of it all, crushing him. He had failed his squad, his vice-captain, the other captains. As his eyes slid shut he thought, _I even failed Hinamori_.

Thinking only her name, images flooded his mind, images of the past. Hinamori, beautiful and smiling as a little girl, happily sharing watermelons with him. Hinamori, so unbelievably excited to be a shinigami, dancing in her unbridled joy. Hinamori, successfully a vice-captain at last, serving that traitorous scum. Hinamori now, broken and crying, shouting at him as loud as she could, blaming him for Aizen's betrayal. Hinamori crying. _Hinamori crying_. It was _intolerable_. He couldn't, _would not_, absolutely _refused_ to let that continue. She had cried enough for yesterday's trash. Someone had to be there to protect her. Someone had to make sure she smiled again. He was far from being ready to die yet!

It was convenient that one arm was already crushed under his back. With tedious difficulty he slipped his fingers around the hilt of the dagger still buried into his back. In a single, swift motion, he shoved the dagger the rest of the way through, lodging it firmly in the hollow's central chest. It recoiled immediately, releasing its grip on his other arm. Reacting dangerously quickly, Hitsugaya jerked his now free arm forward to grab the dagger. He yanked it back out, simultaneously grappling the hollow onto the ground and stabbing the dagger into the hollow's mask.

"You're mine!" Hitsugaya growled viciously, a dangerous gleam in his eye. Blood was pouring from every wound on his body, but he showed no signs of weakness any longer. The hollow trembled.

It had no victory. Not with that knife right in its only true vital area. There were no choices left. It conceded.

"All right, shinigami. What do you want?" The hollow's voice was bitter and vaguely irritated.

"What is Aizen up to now? He got the Hougyoku, but what's his goal? I know it's not all about power."

The hollow sighed dejectedly. "Sometimes I wonder how the Seireitei even functions, with shinigami this stupid. He already told you what he wants."

Hitsugaya stared at him, puzzled. When did that happen?

"Well, in fairness to you, they probably didn't mention what his speech of departure was. But frankly, I think that supports my theory."

Hitsugaya was starting to get annoyed. Was he ever going to get to the point?

"I believe his words were, 'to stand atop the sky?' And something along the lines of, 'No one has ever stood in heaven, but I shall?' Aizen is cheating his way into heaven, the last and greatest dimension."

Hitsugaya stared. And stared. _Heaven? _He stared some more. "Why? _How? _Why would the hollows help him?"

"Oh come now, have you forgotten the Hougyoku already? It fuses two unlike souls, shinigami and hollow. The new creation is stronger, more powerful. It is the last and final weapon the hollows need to destroy the shinigami once and for all. We are a thorough sort of breed. In all practicality, we probably don't need the extra insurance, but this way, we guarantee victory."

"But Aizen going to Heaven-"

"-affects us not at all. It's an even trade. He gets the temporary use of an army, leaves to Heaven and then we have both an army and the Hougyoku. It balances rather nicely, wouldn't you say?"

"Why? _Why _go to Heaven? I still don't understand the benefit."

The hollow shrugged. "We don't know. Don't particularly care either. His goals align with ours and so we are allies. That's all there is to it."

Hitsugaya furrowed his brow. This was problematic. He needed to know his enemy better in order to counter him effectively. He needed to know what Aizen actually wanted. Was it really only the power Heaven might bring him? "But how? How would he get there?"

The hollow squirmed underneath him, clearly uncomfortable. "How about you get the knife out of my head and then I answer the rest of your questions?"

Hitsugaya grinned tightly. "I'm not that stupid hollow. Despite what you think. A deal's a deal. Now quit wasting my time and answer the question."

The hollow huffed a little but continued. "I don't know exactly. It's a difficult and nearly impossible process. Many, many prerequisites and specific ingredients to be used and abused at the right moments."

Hitsugaya went ice cold as that last sentence sunk in. He didn't even want to think about those implications, but he knew he'd have to address them later.

"The process itself is unknown to the hollows. What we do know, however, is that it is known to the shinigami."

Hitsugaya looked at him in surprise.

"Not _well-_known of course, but the record of it is there, if only in legend. I do not know the name of the legend, but if I understand your record system correctly, it should be noted in your computers what Aizen examined while he was down in the libraries. I am certain that it would be one of them."

_Finally! _Something concrete he could work with. Now on to something a bit more personal. "Why would _I_ be a worthy trade for information?"

The hollow stared. "Isn't it obvious? You're young. You're a tensai. The youngest recorded captain ever in the Seireitei. You would be an envious addition to our shinigami/hollow hybrids. And I would be rewarded beyond my glorious dreams for delivering you."

"Who are his allies? I want details on their strengths, powers, skills, everything."

And so it went. The interrogation lasted for hours, Hitsugaya trying to obtain every scrap of detail possible. The hollow answered every question, to the best of its meager knowledge. Slowly, Hitsugaya was forming his own plan, deciding his course of action. He would need allies. Many, powerful allies who would be both unquestionably loyal and powerfully versatile. By the time he had concluded the session, the sun had already begun rising in the sky once more.

The question then became, _Now what? _He could not count on simply releasing the hollow and believing that it would let him leave. He was too weak to fight back now, reiatsu nearly depleted and blood at a severe low. Also, he couldn't expect that the hollow would not now go back and reveal all it had told to its masters in Hueco Mundo. He had no guarantee of any kind that if he let it go, he would not die, all his information lost. It would be impossible to drag it back with him to Seireitei. It was unfortunate, but he had no choice. And besides, it purified its soul.

So he dragged the knife the rest of the way through the hollow's mask, ending its life. He did so with great regret. He did not enjoy killing off a creature when it had helped him and he did not like that he would not get the opportunity to recheck information. But there was no option. So he shrugged off the guilt nagging the back of his mind and stumbled over to his dropped zanpakutou. He didn't hear the clang of metal as it slid back into the sheath over his back. His hearing was shot. There was no one nearby.

_How was he supposed to get all the way back to the Seireitei like this? _He needed to staunch the bleeding. Most of his cuts were no longer bleeding, but the hole in his chest simply refused to stop. He shuddered deeply, wincing at the racing pain radiating from the wound. He needed to get back soon or all of it would be for nothing.

He climbed up the ravine on all fours. He didn't have the strength to be careful of the rock slides anymore and they simply came tumbling down. Every part of his body ached. The bleeding on his shoulder wounds started flowing freely. It seemed like hours before he finally reached the top, covered in dust and rocks and dozens more scratches. He was feeling distinctly lightheaded now.

He tripped unexpectedly over a tree root, face-planting into the trunk of said tree. His nose started bleeding. Where had that tree come from? He looked more closely, one hand leaning against the trunk like a cane, and realized everything was fading to shades of gray.

He swore silently to himself. His vision was going.


	6. Recovery

AN: This is the edited version of chapter six everybody! Most of it is the same, with a couple grammar changes and some sentences that I changed entirely, but, as this was another chapter I was initially pretty happy with, not much needed to change. No, the one that will need SERIOUS revamping is definitely chapter nine. well, we'll see how it goes anyway. also, I recall mentioning when i initially uploaded this chappie, mentioning that this was /supposed/ to begin the legend... only i had to wrap up the fight and that just kinda went on and on... (grins) ah well. so it gets pushed to the next two chapters (instead of only just the next one)... anyway, i hope you enjoy the edit and let me know if you like it!! (please? insert puppy dog face).

Chapter Six **Recovery**

Reflecting back later, he could never say how it was he managed to arrive back at the Seireitei. All he could feel was the pain seeping through his whole body and deep into his muscles. It continued to spread, a never-ending disease he could not escape. Each step was pure torture and unadulterated agony. He barely noticed the dead look to the forest his second time passing through. His vision had completely faded to black and white and he found himself unable to focus coherently on any one idea or image. So he couldn't see the trees literally wilting as he passed, the dying of the flowers, or that it was much shorter going out than it had been entering.

Mostly he was cold. Not the comforting ice cold that Hyourinmaru brought him, but the cold of his muscles freezing in place. It slowed his movements, dragging him into a trudging crawl. The blood caked onto his clothes and his skin. It was sticky, heating with the rising of the sun. He only dimly realized that he had entered the villages on the outskirts of the Rukongai. On the edges of his hearing, people muttered about his bloodstained appearance. They muttered about his shinigami clothing. They muttered about his weakened state. He involuntarily flexed his hold on his zanpakutou. They did not disturb him.

It was sheer will alone that carried him to the gates. His feet were numb, his blood level impossibly low and he was nearly deaf. It was a miracle that he was still on his feet, let alone walking. The midafternoon sun shone high, beating down on his back while he walked. Hitsugaya was so far gone that he couldn't perceive his ragged breathing or realize the soreness of his throat. It hurt to breathe but it hurt so much more to walk, that such pain meant almost nothing.

He stumbled into the outer courtyards of the Seireitei to stunned gasps followed by shocked silence. Unsurprisingly, he did not see it, nor would he have cared if he had. He was not even truly conscious of his surroundings. He only knew that somehow, he must get back, he must find the fourth squad. It was at least a minute before the shinigami present had recovered enough to react. Those of lower standing and experience either remained stock still, frozen, or bolted out of view to lose whatever it was they had eaten last. It was only passing luck that had Rukia strolling through that particular courtyard at that particular moment. She noticed first the hush of the crowd and then she spotted Hitsugaya, practically dead on his feet. She reacted immediately.

"You! Fetch Unohana-taichou from squad four headquarters right now, on the double!" The instruction was for the first shinigami she laid eyes on. Pointing again, she shouted out, "The three of you there, come here and help me!"

They rushed forward obediently as Rukia approached Hitsugaya.

"Hitsugaya-taichou? What happened?"

Hitsugaya continued forward, unable to hear her soft question, barely able to see the ground.

She stepped in front of him, grasping his shoulders firmly with both hands. "Hitsugaya-taichou?"

He looked up and saw her at last, though only dimly. "Oh good," he rasped out. "I made it. Make sure I don't die." And with that, he passed out in her arms, unconscious at last.

The next few days passed in a disjointed haze. He was never quite sure when he was sleeping or when he was awake. He was unaware of moving at all, only of the vague floating feeling in a white emptiness. No one joined him there and he knew he was only waiting until he was ready to leave. He was never conscious enough to know when precisely he could leave or what was detaining him, but he knew enough to wait. Sometimes he could hear voices. They were gentle, quiet and patient but they never lingered for long. Usually he couldn't understand what was said, but sometimes the words would drift through.

There was one voice in one particular instance that he was able to hear clearly. He found himself unable to focus on it wholly, which bothered him for a reason he couldn't quite name, but he was able to discern the words. They were shouted, choked with deep emotional suffering. They were demanding and aggressive, yet coaxing. They pierced the outer layer of his lassitude but could not quite snap him out of the lethargy he was muddling through inside.

"I'm so sorry, Hitsugaya! I'm so, so sorry!" Tears broke through the voice and for a few moments, the emotionally distraught girl could not even speak through the sobs that racked her body. "Oh… oh…. Oh, no…," she moaned brokenly, desperately. "Please, you can't die. Don't leave me Shiro-chan…. Please don't leave me…. I swear I didn't mean anything I said before. You're my oldest and most wonderful friend and I never should have doubted you. You're the only one who stands by me now… Please, don't leave me, please… Toushirou, what were you even doing? How did you get yourself into this awful mess? Wake up, please, I can't stand to see you hurting this way." At this point, tears overcame her once more and she wept onto the white hospital sheets. "I'm so scared. All the time. I can't trust anyone but you. All of them want to kill Aizen-Taichou, but I know you'd never hurt me. Shiro-chan, why won't you answer me?" Her voice was small and filled with the fright of a small child. "I'm so confused. I feel that I can't sort it out on my own. Like all of me is dying at once and I just can't survive it. Oh please don't die on me Shiro…." The voice faded into the background once more.

When Hitsugaya finally awoke, it had been a full three days. The first thing he felt were the aches, the intense pains, everywhere on his battered body. He shifted slightly to the left and felt the pain shoot up his side unpleasantly. It was then that reality crashed in and he remembered what he had done. He remembered his mission. His need for allies. His need for a plan. A plan better than whatever Aizen's was. He scowled at the ceiling. This was going to be impossible. _Why was _he _in charge? _He was the youngest and most inexperienced. There were certainly other captains that could have been trusted with such a task. He sighed. It didn't matter. The job was his and he would do it. Besides, it wasn't as if he _wasn't _after a rematch with the most hated man in all of Soul Society. He sat up very carefully.

And started in surprise. Hinamori was curled up in a stiff-backed chair in the far corner of the room, sleeping lightly. _What was she doing here? _She still looked terribly thin. He didn't like the slightly hollow look under her eyes or her distinctly undernourished appearance. Nor did she look very comfortable. He narrowed his eyes, only just remembering what had been whispered in the silence of his partial sleep. He would definitely have something to say if she was doing what he thought she was doing. Then it struck him the contents of her speech. Unexpectedly, his mind recalled her heartbroken words, accompanied by wrenching keening noises. He stared down at the sheets and turned several shades of pink and red respectively, each one darker than the last in mere seconds.

It was at that timely moment that Unohana-taichou entered the room. "Ah, Hitsugaya-taichou, I thought you might be awake now. You were very seriously injured. What in Soul Society did you do?"

Hitsugaya looked up at her, trying desperately to rid himself of the embarrassing blush staining his cheeks. He tried, futilely, to shift his mind over to the business of the moment, but, now that his mind was thinking on it, he couldn't seem to stop.

Unohana stopped and stared for a moment. She had never seen Hitsugaya blush before. She was fairly certain almost no one had. Though she was undoubtedly one of the most dangerous captains of the Gotei 13, she was also the most motherly. As only a mother would understand, she tried not to pay attention to his adorable, blushing face, even though she was giggling madly on the inside. "Well, what do you have to say for yourself, Hitsugaya-taichou?"

His face zoomed to hers instantly, frowning at the almost childish implication of her question.

"Well, this is the second time you've been in here in only the last couple of days. You can't expect me to not notice." She smiled serenely, if a tad bit mischievously.

He let out a long sigh. "The first instance was just a sore throat! I wouldn't have bothered, only I needed my voice back to talk to the soutaichou." He glared at her rather irritably.

"Just a sore throat? Hitsugaya-taichou, I haven't seen a throat that sore in my entire life. You were practically mute!"

He went back to staring at the sheets and muttering under his breath incoherently.

"So, you were going to tell me how you got into this mess?" She gestured to his injuries. "I need to fill out my own report, after all."

Hitsugaya thought quickly, trying to conceive a plausible explanation that did not seem as if it had just been made up on the spot. "I've been getting too restless lately. So I went to go relieve some stress by going on a hollow raid. I didn't take it seriously enough and went alone." He looked at Unohana, hoping she didn't ask for more details. He was already going to get into enough trouble from this. He shuddered mentally, not even wanting to _think _about how Matsumoto was going to react. Had probably _already _reacted.

She seemed to accept that as reasonable, because she continued with what she had planned to say. "Soutaichou wanted to see you right away but I told him to wait due to your injuries. It seemed as if he was already planning disciplinary action for your irresponsibility in a time of war. Why on earth and Soul Society did you not bring backup?" Her tone became quite exasperated by the end.

Hitsugaya blinked at her, momentarily startled by her apparent concern. After a few seconds he merely shrugged. "I didn't think I'd need it. It had sounded weak enough in the reports."

Unohana narrowed her eyes at him but said nothing more on the subject. "Your injuries were rather extensive. You sustained severe hearing damage that was extremely difficult to repair. You're just lucky a medic that skilled was available. The whole in your chest was also extremely gruesome. You lost so much blood that I had to have a whole team here in order to get you resupplied. I healed your other various cuts easily, but all of them were filled with dirt and bits of leaves. Frankly, it's a miracle you're still alive. I tell you this, because if you ever come back in a similar condition again, your fukutaichou will be the least of your worries." Her voice suddenly full of very threatening undercurrents that positively assured horrifying tortures as she concluded her little speech. "Do I make myself absolutely clear Hitsugaya-Taichou?"

Hitsugaya gulped-unobtrusively, of course. "I'll keep that in mind," he muttered almost unintelligibly. "Now quit mothering me." He glared at her for good measure, a pointed reminder that he was her equal in status and that she didn't really have the right to speak to him that way.

Unohana merely smiled, her face serene once more. "Hitsugaya-taichou, I mother everyone. They either get used to it or stop talking to me." She laughed, a tinkly, bell-like sound.

Hitsugaya ignored that and continued with business. "How soon do I get out of here, Unohana-taichou?"

She looked him over critically before responding. "You should definitely get some bed rest today and part of tomorrow. After that, you should be free to go, but you'll need to take it easy. No strenuous activities for a couple of days. Come back in for a check-up next week and you should be just fine."

Hitsugaya sighed involuntarily. Time wasted that he needed. Badly.

"It's your own fault." Unohana felt the need to interject on his unspoken complaint. "You should have, at the very least brought some kind of backup with you."

He shrugged. Too late now. "Thank you for your time and careful care, Unohana-taichou."

She bowed slightly in answer. "I'll have one of my officers bring you in something to eat in a few minutes. Will that be acceptable?"

He nodded appreciatively. "Also, could you bring some for Hinamori?"

She nodded, giving him a vaguely sad look, and left. He figured, accurately, that Hinamori had not been eating since she woke up. He would make her before he got out of here, even if he had to use his own injuries to do it.

As promised, the food arrived in only a few minutes, hot and fresh. He ate his quickly, hoping he could finish before Hinamori's food got cold so he could focus on her. He barely tasted it in his haste.

Thinking carefully, he decided to break the rule on bed rest and walked over to wake her up. She whimpered in her sleep, scratching at the chair fabric briefly. Hitsugaya winced to himself, knowing that meant unpleasant dreams. Very gently, he placed his hand on her shoulder. He didn't shake her, just simply let his hand rest there. "Hinamori?"

She muttered something under her breath that he didn't quite hear.

He raised his voice a little and tried again. "Hinamori?"

She stirred, reiatsu fluctuating. She was waking up.

He braced himself. "Hinamori?"

Her eyes flew open, she felt the hand at her shoulder and leapt out of the chair to face him, breathing heavily. "Hitsugaya-kun?"

She hadn't said quite enough for him to get a read on her mood yet. He decided to try to head it off before she had a chance to think about it too much. No telling what that might lead to. "Hinamori, there's a tray of food for you here. I didn't think you'd want it to get cold."

Her eyes flashed. "It can rot for all I care. I'm not hungry."

He examined her expression, weighing his choices, deciding the best approach. His legs were starting to feel weak. "I don't believe you. I think you just don't want to eat."

"Isn't that the same thing?"

"No. One acknowledges that you have no current need for food. The second says that you're ignoring the need for food in order to avoid keeping yourself healthy." He crossed his arms, looking at her passively. "Why might that be Hinamori?"

"Why do you think?" she shot back in annoyance. "You're the tensai. You're the captain. You're the one who always knows and always gets it right. Why don't _you _tell _me _why I don't, apparently, feel like being healthy?"

He ignored her jabs and focused on the hurt in her eyes. "I think you're punishing yourself," was his soft reply.

She took a step back, appearing as if she'd been slapped, tears glimmering instantly in the corners of her eyes. "Quit trying to psychoanalyze me, Toushirou. Quit telling me how I'm supposed to feel." He heard what she didn't say too. _Quit being right._

"Then eat." He shrugged and looked away, allowing her to wipe away the telltale teardrops.

She glared. "Will you not talk the whole time?" she demanded.

"And afterwards, if you like."

"Fine." She dragged the tray of food back to her chair and started eating.

Having won the argument, Hitsugaya found the adrenaline rush fading fast and a desperate need to get back to the bed. He turned and took a step, his knees nearly buckling underneath him. He stopped and almost spoke out loud in surprise. There were at least seven more steps left until he reached the bed. How was he supposed to get there without having to crawl? At that untimely moment, his chest gave a particularly painful spasm and he gasped, raising a hand to it. Unohana was going to kill him. He bravely took another step and felt a rush of lightheadedness as his legs shook. He stopped to let his mind clear.

"Are you going to sit down or not?" Hinamori asked impatiently.

Hitsugaya didn't answer but grimaced slightly.

"Toushirou-kun?"

He chanced another step and swayed, the room spinning. He reached out for something to steady him, realizing a little too late that there _wasn't _anything to steady him. He tried closing his eyes, but that only made him want to throw up. Curse his constant need to take care of Hinamori. It was going to get him killed one of these days.

"Hitsugaya-kun, you're not healed yet!" Hinamori exclaimed, suddenly rushing to grab his arm right before he fell.

"I can walk fine by myself," he insisted. The attempted intimidating effect of the sentence was relatively eradicated by the evident slurring of his words and the serious weight he was leaning against her.

"No, no, no, you pushed yourself too hard Toushirou-kun," Hinamori wailed. "Here, I'll help you."

"Told you, I'm fine. Just go finish your dinner." By this point, he was practically laying across her back and very clearly _not _fine. Hinamori appropriately ignored him. She helped back to the bed and very gently laid him horizontal onto the bed. His eyes were already closed when his head hit the pillow. "Told you…. Fine..," his voice slurred. "Just tired… Go finish eating…"

Hinamori's pale, anxious face hovered over his as she tried to judge for herself how he was doing.

"I'll sleep better if I know you're eating," he mumbled, eyes opened slightly and fixated on her expression.

"Toushirou-kun," she wrung her hands futilely.

He slid a hand into hers. It felt cool and bony. "Don't listen well do you… Bedwetter?" Only sheer will kept his eyes fractionally open.

Her face shifted from approximately dead white to practically blood red in less than a second. "_Shirou-chan!_"she hissed, yanking her hand back. It was the concern in his eyes that settled her simmering temper. "Will you go to sleep if I eat?"

He didn't even have the energy to nod. He knew he'd won—she had conceded—and so he instantaneously fell asleep, eyes closed.

Against her will, Hinamori smiled. Some things would never change. Then she went obediently over to her chair and finished her dinner, as promised.


	7. The Legend Part One

AN: Hi, hi everybody! dances kay, chapter's posted... late, i know... sorry... sniffles anyway, important info for everybody... i've started keeping an updated on my profile for where i am in the upcoming chapters for people... i don't like wasting chapters on it, so check my profile and i'll let you know if the chapter'll be on time or not, eh? right now i've got a bunch of nifty hitsuhina videos too! okay, this chapter, it's only half actually... i was gonna do the whole legend but it's getting kind of late and i don't want shortchange the ending, arguably one of the most important points of the entire story... so it's a twopart bit... an intro part, and the first half of the legend... the next chappie will be the second half and conclusion along with reactions to it... very important. after that, i think it'll be a matsumoto centric type chappie and then we're taking a journey to the real world! but no worries, hitsuchan's still the main character also, i'd like to thank everybody who reviewed... both the last chapter and the chapter's before! i'm so grateful! also, i have a general policy of replying to all reviews so, while i don't mind anonymous, if you're logged in, i'll send you something tasty! and thank's to andrew, my currently only anonymous reviewer! i'm glad you're enjoying the story... dances i'm so dying of curiosity to see what you guys think of the legend... though of course, it won't really mean anything til the next chappie, right? let me know... and i hope you enjoy this next installment!

Unohana had exacted her vengeance in more horrible ways than he had contemplated. She had extended his bed rest by another day, and rather than explain that Hitsugaya had overexerted himself, she announced-to all the captains as explanation for why he would be missing from more meetings-that the change was due to a miscalculation on her part. She said that he would need to stay longer than she expected because his body was unable to heal that quickly. This was because of his distinctive height and youth.

He could have killed her.

If he wasn't stuck bedridden and forced to endure countless taunts at his expense courtesy of at least half the remaining captains and other various members of divisions he was acquainted with, he most definitely wouldn't have allowed her to get away with that heresy. The only and most surprising exception had to be his own vice-captain. Uncharacteristically, she mentioned nothing about Unohana's commentary. She merely hovered anxiously over him. And when she thought he wasn't looking, she was examining him with a very careful, analytical stare that he found much more nerve-wracking. She was planning something and that could never be a good thing. To the rest of his mocking audience, he let none of that show. His infamous glare promised retribution to all those daring enough to make their numerous comments audible. However, he couldn't enlighten them as to the truth of the matter because that would involve discussing the scene with Hinamori. And that was private. So he was stuck with listening to their stupid taunts for two whole days.

After that, however, was another matter. As soon as Unohana released her bed rest injunction, Hitsugaya was simply waiting for someone to even_hint _at his height difference. He was ready to deliver some well-earned reprimands in the form of equally well-earned physical discipline. At which he excelled. While he was waiting for such a person to appear, he decided to have his rather late in coming meeting with Yamamoto-soutaichou.

As soon as his presence was announced, Yamamoto called for an emptying of his chambers. All his seated officers were temporarily evicted in order to give him and Hitsugaya some privacy to discuss his insubordination. Once the chambers were emptied, Hitsugaya and Yamamoto stood silently, facing each other.

At last, Yamamoto began to speak. "I think we both know you are not here to discuss your rash actions in dealing with that hollow."

"Of course not. The hollow in question had been working for Aizen and the hollows. He was the go-between the two that originally began their negotiations." Hitsugaya sighed heavily. "By the time we managed to get to the interrogations, there was no way I could bring him back alive by myself."

"Excellent. It would not have been convenient to have him still living now. Obviously, we must continue to cover our tracks, Hitsugaya-taichou. So that no one becomes suspicious, this meeting is to be exactly what it seems to be. You are hereby suspended from your captain's duties until I inform you otherwise. This works to our advantage, giving you all the free time you need to continue your task."

Hitsugaya bowed respectfully. "Of course, soutaichou. The mission itself was a success, though I have yet to follow up on it due to my injuries and Unohana-Taichou's strict policies."

"Of course. We need you to be successful Hitsugaya-taichou. Failure is not one of our options. I trust that you'll get to the bottom of this. Report back to me when you have more information."

Hitsugaya bowed again and left the office, considering. His plan needed to be careful, flawless. He needed to think like Aizen, but surpass him. He needed to consider all the different souls involved and how they would react, not just those in to Aizen's plan. He needed to outsmart the greatest genius Soul Society had ever seen. Well, he wasn't called a tensai for nothing.

The library was dusky and deserted. He wandered through the empty aisles of dusty records and approached the computer terminal. He backtracked through the old files, trailing the recent users and what they had logged in and out. Due to the relative business of the Seireitei lately, it was not incredibly difficult or time-consuming to come up with the information regarding Aizen. Hitsugaya clenched his teeth unconsciously, irritated that so much of his time must be consumed thinking about a man he hated.

Most of the files, especially the more recent ones, were concerning the hougyoku or Urahara's research in general. Though those were important, they weren't what he was looking for. He scrolled farther back, trying to uncover the mysterious legend mentioned by the hollow. It was nearly a year back before he finally found what he was looking for. Far before Rukia had entered the human world. But that made sense. After all, Aizen needed to know what his primary goal was before he could even begin to develop his methods. The legend itself seemed innocuous enough at first. It read as a simple love story complete with evil villain. It resembled a fairy tale more than it did a legend. He sighed audibly. What did this have to do with getting into heaven? He wondered if he ought to just ask Yamamoto. However, there was no guarantee that Yamamoto would even have the answer. At the very least, he ought to finish the legend before asking him. He turned back to the screen.

The legend itself was ancient, having been written centuries before Yamamoto had created the Seireitei and set up a governing system. The language was vaguely archaic, some of it difficult to understand. As he read however, he found a slowly dawning sense of horror drawing in around him. This……

It all began long ago. The days stretched long and vast and the sun brightened each day. Back in the smoky mists of the forests, he found her. For some reason unknown, she bore no name. He found her wandering with dead eyes through a maze of trees, hair limp around her shoulders and clothes ripped and shredded. She did not speak. Whether or not this was because she lacked the ability at that time or simply chose not to is unknown, even to this day. He described her as a dead angel to those close to him and vowed that he would find a way to bring her back to life.

Under his gentle and careful care, she gradually lost the dead expression in her eyes. Sometimes she was even able to smile, though this was extremely rare. He accomplished exactly what he vowed. She ate food, interacted with the other townspeople and even began to speak. Still, she did not smile often and the smile never did manage to reach her eyes.

It was not until the newcomer came that everything began to change.

When the mysterious, kind gentleman first walked into her vision, it was as if she had become a whole new person. Her eyes glowed from deep within, not smiling perse, but as a strange kind of devoted joy. When she took to following him around town, everyone could see the change in her caretaker. It was as if she had stolen his light for herself, powered by the mysterious gentleman. Suddenly, he was the one who spoke rarely and smiled less. Still, he did not stop her in her pursuits. He respected her choice of happiness and did not complain. After all, simply wishing for her to be alive did not mean that she would be alive for him. And so he drifts into the background of the story.

The mysterious gentleman's arrival was heralded and celebrated by the townspeople. He was fair, just and kind, always on the lookout for someone in need of rescuing. All of them appreciated his wisdom and he always expressed his appreciation for their courtesy. Coinciding with his arrival was the beginning of a series of strange occurrences surrounding the village. It began as merely odd, a misplaced set of dishware, missing belongings presumed lost. It wasn't long before that degenerated to eerie, the misplaced belongings being found suddenly out in the woods piled together. There were dead animals scattered among them. Little creatures like rabbits and young deer, cut open, their insides dried on the forest floor. None of the villagers retrieved their possessions. Instead they cleared out a trench around the little clearing and burned out the evidence.

All of them were at a loss as to its source. There seemed no purpose and no culprit, unless someone was hiding in the woods. All of them were frightened, uncertain as to how the situation might escalate further. They turned toward their mysterious newcomer for guidance and wisdom. He recommended a watch be set and trained them to stay awake at night without sleeping for hours. Each was asked to report to him if they were to see or hear anything unusual, no matter how slight. The girl-child from the woods became his special assistant, always performing what he asked without question. She longed for his approval, to be useful to him and to protect the village that had loved and saved her.

Despite all of the precautions in place, disaster struck. One of the children disappeared. The parents were inconsolable and utterly distraught. The girl-child was little better. However, she was able to stave off her weaker tears and immediately ran to the woods to find the missing little girl. The mysterious gentleman discovered this shortly after her departure. He was furious, but most of all, frightened. After all, they did not know what dangers awaited, and he could not know if she would be safe. With little delay, the gentleman set out to follow her.

The villagers were now panicked. A child was gone. What if she ended up just like the poor animals? And what were they to do now that their only protectors had gone? What if they died? Hysteria was close upon them. With nothing left to consider, they approached he who had passed to the background. When he heard what had happened he paled to the shade of clouds on a clear day and then flushed red. Though he bore concern for the missing daughter, his mind was overcome with possibilities of what could happen to the girl he rescued. But with the villagers crowded around him in his small hut, on the verge of becoming a terror-crazed mob, there was nothing he could do.

"It will be all right," he told them. The kind gentleman had gone to rescue both girls; the villagers had nothing to fear. Though they were partially soothed, the villagers still worried. What if something comes while they're gone? He explained patiently that the kind gentleman would never allow that to happen. Ever. It just wasn't in his nature. And even if something DID come, they weren't totally helpless. After all, he was still there. Furthermore, they ought to hold a special candle ceremony to honor them and wait for their return. The villagers were happy for the idea, appreciating that they would have something to do other than worry while they waited.

Though they now wandered off, satisfied, he was more mystified than ever. There was something wrong with the situation, only he couldn't put his finger on quite what it was. What bothered him the most was the seeming coincidences involved. A mysterious gentleman shows up and suddenly, strange and unusual disasters begin. Disasters that are unsolvable, even by the brilliant new visitor. A bit too coincidental.

_Could it really be? _Could it be that the town's newest resident and savior was the evil sadist behind the animal incident?

_Impossible._But already, he was feeling the panic constrict within his chest. Both his angel and the little girl were alone in the woods with the man-if he was right. He raced through the town towards the man's house, urgency dictating his rapid pace. The whole place was painstakingly neat and organized, each room positively pristine. He went straight to the man's bedroom. If he was wrong, there would be no excusing his actions. But if he was right……

He ransacked it, searching through every nook and cranny for every clue. Odds were, he would have had an outer lair where he performed his evil deeds. Few, if any clues, would be here. Still, he had nowhere else to look, no other place to start. He had no choice but to take the chance. Everything seemed to be normal. Clothes, work tools, papers and writing utensils. Nothing out of the ordinary. He checked under the beds, pulled up floorboards. He pulled drawers fully out of the dressers to look for hidden compartments. He combed through the entire place as thoroughly as he could imagine. He found nothing.

Giving in to despair, he collapsed on one of the chairs, head in hands, trying to figure out what he was going to do. She would hate him for this. Was he wrong? He had found nothing. He looked up dully, staring blankly at the bookshelf before him without paying strict attention. In the grip of despair, he idly read the miscellaneous book titles.

_How long before they would return? Would they return at all? _He felt his blood run cold at the very thought. _If she didn't return…… _He would no longer have any real reason to stay alive. His body jerking suddenly, starting violently. His eyes focused, riveting intently on the bookshelf in front of him. He stood up slowly. Of course! There was no need to hide an intellectual pursuit, especially when most of the villagers were unable to read. He stared at the book, unable to believe what he was actually seeing.

_Animal Souls and Heaven._

Part of him simply felt latent shock, too heavy and lethargic to actually make himself move, to react. He pushed that part of himself the background and hastily slid the book off the shelf. He flipped pages, skimming for generic details. Apparently, the author believed that animals had more primitive, and therefore innocent, souls, allowing them easier access to "heaven." But wasn't Soul Society already "heaven?" Confused, he continued. The author described a confusing ritual involving sacrificing the innocent animals souls. He scrunched his nose in distaste. Obviously a quack of some sort. But it explained the animal incident. He dropped the book and selected another-quickly.

_Religions among the Living._

Religion? He opened the book and scanned through it. Early forms of it were appearing in various tribes and segments. They believed in life after death? An interesting theory-and not entirely inaccurate. He shut the book, more confused now than ever. What was this man trying to do, get to heaven? Did heaven even exist? And what did she have to do with it? Would she believe him if he told her the truth? (Did he even know the truth?) Regardless of what the real answers were, it was clear that that man was responsible for the terrible incidences. And that little girl and his angel were at that man's mercy.

He broke into a run, dashing towards the forest.

He didn't know where he was going, that was the most frightening part. But he was determined, desperate to find her before it was too late. Where would she look first? Inspiration struck and he raced to the clearing where the animals had been found. He looked around the area intently, searching for possible clues. Had she passed this way? There didn't seem to be anything indicating she had. The ground was ashy and mostly undisturbed since the initial incident. Even the animals had stayed away. He noted the broken twigs of bordering bushes and the light half-prints in the grayish dust. At any rate, someone had been here recently. He followed the tracks the forest. Whoever it was hadn't taken the time to cover her tracks (he was hoping it'd be this easy) and so was relatively easy to traces hidden among the foliage.

Agitation hurried his pace. Would he never reach her? The trail stretched on. The fear was becoming overwhelming. What would he find? His angel and the little girl trussed up and sacrificed in another crazy attempt to reach heaven? His creative mind could already see the possibilities and all of them had blood everywhere. He picked up the pace.


	8. The Legend Part Two

AN: Hey everybody! waves here i am, updating on time, despite the random chapter i wrote in the middle of last week of another story! yay me! does a victory dance i know it's late in the day... but i still count it as on time, cuz i haven't slept yet... okay, about this chapter... i label it as the last chapter of set-up... this is not to say that the action attacks next chapter... only that this chapter ends the set-up... though i guess i could draw the line later... i'm drawing it now... so nyah. XP and though there'll be much more foreshadowing to come, this is the ultimate foreshadowing for the story... as such, i would positively love to hear theories on what all you readers think will happen next! dances though of course, all types of reviews are welcome.. next chappie will be matsumoto centric... something this story has been needing for some time... i definitely need to get a handle on her personality so I think this'll be a good experience...

a couple more things... one, yes, i started another hitsuhina story... i encourage everybody to go check it out! though it's only a chapter long... and this story is still my main focus... so that story will be updated around this story's schedule and will therefore be updated randomly... also, feel free to ignore the half-chapter yuyu hakusho beginning thing... i'm not updating that for some time, i just wanted to get it out there... and last but not least, i forgot to mention last time... i have fanart!!!! dances i know i mentioned it on my profile, but if you haven't looked at my profile, you wouldn't know, right? well, everybody ought to go check it out! and if you have a deviantart, leave her tasty, encouraging comments, because i so appreciate her taking the time to draw stuff! it's by sarabear770 and can be found here at this link http://wastedsouls. please, please, go check it out and make her feel warm and fuzzy by leaving her comments... i hope you enjoy the chapter!

It was the shouting he heard first. Initially, it was only vague and in the distance, but it gave him a direction. He burst into a full-out sprint through the trees to reach the source. It was her. She was cradling the little girl in her lap, tears streaming down her cheeks and pale as death. Her words were bitter, infused with heartbroken disbelief.

He knew before he even looked at the little girl that she was dead. There was no way she could be reacting like that to a happy and safe little girl. And then he actually looked at the body. It took all he had to not give away his position by gasping and screaming, in shock and rage. Her skin was torn to ribbons, ragged pieces of flesh hanging on only by thin threads. Blood clung to each chunk and splattered onto her clothes. The blood was everywhere, though it seemed to be nearly dry, indicating that she had been dead since before his angel had arrived. Her body had been drained and dissected, essentially torn apart. He described it in his mind as hideously disgusting.

He had to look away.

She was shouting at the gentleman, if only I had been sooner. If only she had been psychic enough to see the future, he thought to himself. There was no way she would have made it. And even if she had, she trusted him too much to be able to prevent the catastrophe before it was too late. Even he was unsure of whether he was too late for his angel. Why, oh, why had he ever stood aside?! No chance to turn back time and do it right…..

You're not a superhero!, the man shouted back. How could you possibly have known? His voice was very small by the end. Let her go, the man whispered.

How can I face the villagers again? Her parents? Her voice broke as she burst into fresh tears.

On the fringe of the woods, our hero clenched his teeth, watching this scene. So well played… It was disgusting. He stepped into the clearing, eyes fixed on the gentleman, the object of all his hatred. He barely noticed the girl seeing him, staring blankly.

What are you doing here?

He didn't answer her, didn't even hear her. His entire focus had shifted to the gentleman. He kept replaying everything in his head, red slowly filming his vision, rage skyrocketing. She had been his! He had given her up and she had been his. He had stolen her, destroyed the animals, taken advantage of the town, maimed that poor little girl. All he could see was the red form in front of him, staring. An animalistic, tortured growl ripped from his throat as he launched himself forward at the man.

The man dodged of course, slipping easily to the side. He compensated and changed course, swinging his fist into the man's face. The man blocked with his lower arm and the sound of cracking bone echoed in his ears. He grinned sadistically, determined to stop the abomination before him. He kicked at the man, aiming first for his knee joints. The man was surprisingly adept at hand to hand fighting, making the task more difficult. He was possessed by his rage, unable to think through his actions clearly and only react. His rage clouded his vision and his mind.

Which is why he didn't see her tackle him from behind, knocking him to the ground and screaming, screaming like a banshee. She was pummeling him, punching every inch of him she could reach and shrieking shrilly in his ears. She didn't know, didn't understand what was happening, what he was doing. He wasted no time listening to her and shouted right back. He pulled her off of him, shouting explanations the whole time, frequently littered with angry profanities in that man's direction. She almost seemed to shrivel before him, beginning to cry once more before interrupting that she didn't believe him. Somehow, she "knew" he was lying.

His response was essentially I don't care what you believe, just stay out of my way. That man killed her. He killed that little girl.

He turned back to the man. Why? What makes you think any of this will get you into heaven?

The man's look was blank as he responded. Ah, but I'm already halfway there. All she has to do is kill you and then I'll go home.

He felt a cold chill freeze him in place at those words. _What? _I don't understand! How will killing me accomplish what you want?

Once she kills you, I'll tell her the truth. And then she'll be so overcome, she'll very happily kill herself in punishment. Self-sacrifice in the name of love. And that is my key into heaven. Her death will the signal the portal's opening.

He paled. He knew in a death match with his angel, he would never be able to deny her. He could not, would not kill her. And in that, the man would succeed. If he died, there was no way he could stop the man. He would win. He couldn't even kill himself, because that would bring about the same result. But he could never kill her! There was only one option left. To kill the man before she could kill him. For her sake, he must succeed! Iron cold determination coated his senses. There was nothing he would not do for her. Even destroy her sanity to save her life.

She was still sitting in the same place, looking as though she had heard nothing and was merely festering in her own thoughts, about to explode. Quickly, he attacked the man.

But now the man was serious. The man had revealed his plan and would execute it accordingly. The man was powerful and strong. He noted that the man had significantly more experience than himself. It was as if the man was purposefully fighting at a weaker level just to make the fight more interesting. He gritted his teeth. It made no difference. He would conquer no matter what it took.

He punched, kicked, grappled and scratched, anything to get at the man, anything to harm him. _Why couldn't he just die?_

She still hadn't moved. He needed to work faster! He tried for a right hook but was easily blocked. Did this man leave no openings?! Desperation fueled his movements more and more. Any second now she could awaken and attack him anew. He needed more time but he had none! He growled deep in his throat and launched himself at the man, locking him in close combat. The man tried to wrench free, but he had latched himself on securely and held on, doglike in his obstinacy.

Frustrated, the man began punching and kicking at him in turn, trying to get loose. He felt the cartilage in his nose crunch underneath the man's knuckles as the blood splurted into his eyes, blocking his vision. Still, he held on tightly, without losing his grip. His eyes stung and tears ran down his face, mixing with the blood.

Suddenly, from behind, a huge shockwave detonated, throwing both him and the man head over heels, straight into the nearest tree. He turned to stare at her. Her. Her.

She was standing now, gaze fixed on the both of them, looking crazed and vaguely psychotic. Her eyes were bloodshot and her clothing very much torn and askew. The air and wind currents swirled violently around her, tossing up leaves and other forest paraphernalia. She looked angry, furious, and thoroughly out of her mind. Rage dominated every step forward.

Both of you are using me!, she screamed, shrieked. I don't understand what you want, but I will take it from you!

From nowhere it seemed, she had obtained a weapon. She easily withdrew the blade from the sheath and launched herself at both him and the man.

The man was shocked. His doll could not turn against him. His hold had been too great. Had he overestimated himself? Would she not follow his plan then?

Meanwhile, he was pleading with her. I'm not using you, I'm trying to save you from that user! From the manipulator who has always tried to tie you closer to him! I'm the one that's always been there for you! Please just listen!

I'm done listening!, she growled. And you're mine. She attacked him, sword swinging into his face.

He dodged relatively easy, her movements made clumsier because of her rage. I will not fight you! I will not hurt you. I'm not capable of hurting you. His voice was very soft by the end.

Tears slipped from the corners of her eyes as her anger skyrocketed. You're lying! You already hurt me, she whimpered. When you stopped coming by to see me, it hurt. How can I believe you if you keep lying to me?!

She managed another cut on his arm, as he continued to evade the strength of her attacks.

I couldn't keep coming. I couldn't bear the look in your eyes every time you looked at him! At the end of his sentence he swiveled around to point at the man for emphasis. That devoted, sappy expression, as if he was the only one who could make you happy! I was happy for you, but I couldn't bear to see that happiness if I wasn't the cause.

She stopped mid-charge to stare at him blankly. What? She shook her head, tears beginning to form again. I don't understand…..

The man was still standing, eyes widening as he continued to stare at the two of them. No!, he thought. My plan is failing! Cold wrath swept through the man, consuming his mind. Not after all he had worked for! Looking to the ground, the man saw the knife that our hero had dropped in the initial detonation. He picked it up. He looked at the two of them standing there and staring at each other, oblivious to his presence. He smiled.

A bitter smile twisted his lips. You don't understand? You don't understand that I knew I loved you from the moment I pulled you out of that forsaken forest? What's not to understand? What a fool I am?

But why would you let me leave? Why would stop seeing me? Why would you give up if you loved me? Her words were defiant and disbelieving, even though her eyes hinted at her hesitancy.

His voice was small and so, so quiet. Because he made you happy.

She stared at him. A single tear tracked down her cheek. She watched as his eyes widened suddenly. Uncomprehending, she saw the blood flower on his chest, first only wetting his clothes before spreading and gushing over. He fell to his knees in slow motion, her eyes denying that what she saw was reality. NO!

The man stood behind him, a feral grin gracing his features. The man held a bloody dagger in his left hand, and his clothes were spattered with crimson mist.

Blind fury exploded out of her small frame in towering waves. In an instant, she was on top of the man, clawing at him desperately and rapidly with her sword. He blocked with the knife, but she sliced right through it, cutting into his chest as he attempted to move backwards. As the blade swung downward, the man grabbed at the hilt, attempting to wrest it from her grasp. She kicked at his ankle, throwing off his balance while another detonation went off, except this time, he was at ground zero.

The blast was cataclysmic in proportion, reverberating even the surrounding trees all the way to their roots. Dust and debris swirled and ricocheted in all directions and the air was rent with screams of pain and passionate ire. The dust did not settle, but continued to shoot further and further from the epicenter of the discharges. It clouded up the air, clogging her breathing pathways, choking her. She swung blindly, gripping fiercely to her sword, trying to find the vile man within the smoke.

Her mind calmed as she waited for the air to clear. She stood, tense and waiting to see where the man would emerge. He didn't. It took at least ten minutes for all the debris to settle, and when it did, he was nowhere to be found. She flitted around the area, searching behind trees and within bushes, while never straying too far from our hero. The man was nowhere to be found. Switching priorities quickly, she rushed back to his side to see how bad his wound was.

Angel, he whispered, reaching up a hand to touch her cheek.

She looked down at him, tears pooling in her eyes and sliding down her face.

Don't cry. His voice was hoarse.

You're leaving me. Her voice was small, tears clogging her throat. Don't leave me. Don't go. Not when I've finally found you.

Do you know how long I've waited to see you look at me this way? His voice was achingly tender-gentle. I'm sorry to go. But I can't be sad that it's you here with me at the end.

Don't make me live without you, she begged, desperate.

Don't you dare try to leave this world, not now when you're finally a unique part of it! His voice was suddenly strong as he lifted his head in emphasis. Don't let what we were robbed of disappear so quickly! Promise me you'll keep me alive. Promise me you'll live to remember me.

She shook her head swiftly, tears cascading down her cheeks now.

His eyes burned into hers, desperation now edging his voice. Promise me! Please, he whimpered. Please…..

How can I go on without you? Her hand gripped his tightly, as if to ward off death itself.

Go on _for _me. Promise me.

She stared hard, tears flowing freely, delicately, for long moments. I promise.

He relaxed and gave her a peaceful smile. An acceptant smile. I love you.

I love you, she whispered.

His eyes slid shut as his final breath escaped his lungs, body finally becoming still.

She lay there weeping across his still form for hours, soaking his bloody clothes in her heartbroken grief. It was long past dark when she finally managed to rouse herself from the heavy depression weighing her down. She buried his body alongside the little, digging them a grave as deep as she could manage by herself. Her only tool was the sword and it was little aid. Luckily, the dirt was soft and moist, easily shifted.

When her task was done, she was damp, sweaty and covered in dirt. The sun was rising on the eastern horizon and she knew she needed to get back to the village. She needed to tell the parents of that poor little girl. She needed them to know what a traitor it was they had trusted.

She delivered the news with both sadness and anger in her voice and in her body language. The villagers listened and wailed lamentations to the sky. They had lost a man of wisdom. They had lost a good man. They had lost a precious, precious little girl. And they mourned all of them equally. For whatever evils the man had committed, it was also true that he had done them good. No matter that his intentions were for their ill, they were still grateful for the wisdom he had imparted. Still, the town was never so trusting with strangers again. They knew the cost.

And the angel, she lived as she had promised. She lived her whole life fully and died waiting for him.

This story is true, and though it fades into the mists of time, to be changed, altered and possibly even forgotten, there are those of us who believe, who hope, that they found each other again.

Hitsugaya stared at the computer screen, terror gripping him to his seat.

_This was Aizen's plan? To pit Hinamori and him against each other and in that sacrifice, open a portal to heaven? He was crazy!_

For that was the only conclusion to which he could come. There were simply too many coincidences between the two plots for there not to be a connection. Yet he found himself in the same position as the character from the legend. There was no way of knowing if he was not already too late. After all, there was still no telling whether or not Hinamori was capable of believing ill of her beloved captain. How could he save her?

He forced the panic to the back of his mind. There was no time for that now. He would not allow the kind of tragedy the legend had illustrated to repeat once more. He would become the ice cold thinker, the tensai he was famous for being. He would strategize, think calmly and concisely, and save the most important soul to him in existence.

First, he needed allies. He stretched out his fingers, feeling a catlike satisfaction at the cracking of his knuckles.

_I'm coming for you Aizen. And when I do, I'm bringing down your whole world with you._


	9. Following the Trail

AN: hey everybody! i'm super super sorry for how late this poor chapter is... sniffles i blame christmas honestly... i love it dearly, but it kept me too busy to write... but anyway, here it is and i hope you enjoy!!! it's matsumoto centric as promised... don't really think i captured her all that well... twitches so don't really expect me to come back to her perspective again... poor girl... well, not until much MUCH later anyway. i would greatly appreciate feedback in this particular department... also, i don't like the end... sweatdrops all in all, i hope to do much better on the next chapter... which will journey to the living world! and yes, i think this is the shortest author's note i've had yet... laughs

_Gin_...

Matsumoto sat up slowly, hand to forehead, as if she had a headache. The early afternoon sun was already streaming through the open windows. She kept dreaming of the past….. Idly, she wondered if Hinamori was having the same problem. Somehow, she thought it might explain a lot if that was the case. It would explain the screaming and inability to choose between loyalties. How could she tell the real traitor from the false when it was hard to distinguish dreams from reality?

At least Matsumoto had known from the beginning who to trust. Even if she'd wanted more than anything to think differently.

She shook the greying webs from her mind and tried to focus on the day at hand. Looking around she realized that Hitsugaya-Taichou was nowhere to be found. She blinked in surprise. The only other time he'd been late to work was earlier that week when he'd been unable to speak. It was odd. He was supposed to have escaped Unohana-Taichou's clutches early this morning. Why hadn't he returned to catch up on paperwork? He had to know it'd be stacking up, considering her work habits. Where could he be?

She frowned, furrowing her brows together. She supposed he would have had to report to the soutaichou first. But he still would have finished that some time ago. Gnawing at her bottom lip, she considered her options. The only other places she could imagine him having gone would have been to visit Hinamori (unlikely due to her typical temperament upon waking) or training (also unlikely because he wasn't supposed to engage in strenuous activities). That didn't leave her with much of anything.

It was at that moment that Hitsugaya himself slid the door open and stepped inside. He had a very strange, preoccupied expression on his face that was totally unlike him. She didn't like not knowing what he was thinking. The feeling was too foreign. It put them on uneven footing, a place they hadn't been since he'd first become captain of the division. He stopped suddenly, eyes bulging at the giant mounds of paperwork piled on his desk.

"MATSUMOTO! Have you done _no _paperwork since I've been hospitalized?," he cried, exasperated.

"It's my recovery present to you Taichou!," Matsumoto squealed happily, leaping across the space between them to hug him fiercely.

If she had been looking down at him, she knew she'd see a vein nearly popping out of his forehead in frustration. He stood stock still, waiting for her to release him, steam almost visibly coming out of his ears. She giggled and drew back. "Where have you been Taichou? Didn't you get out much earlier today?"

He twitched and turned back to his desk. "Never you mind, Matsumoto. It wasn't terribly important."

She pouted and glared at him. "Ne, Taichou, you never tell me anything anymore!," she complained.

He turned back to face her and smirked. "Well then, allow me to inform you of this: all that paperwork you saved just for me is now all yours to complete. Including mine."

"NANI?" Matsumoto blinked and stared at him. "I think it's time for me to take some well-needed time off, Taichou…."

"No such luck, Matsumoto. That's what I'm telling you." He sighed to himself. "I've been temporarily suspended from duties." There was a peculiar tone to his voice that told her that wasn't quite what was causing him to sigh.

"What?" Just like that, Matsumoto was able to change to her serious self-her true self. This was indeed a rotten development. "Why would the soutaichou do such a thing?," she demanded of him.

"Ah, my recklessness in dealing with that hollow has grated on his nerves. He believes that such irresponsibility needs punishment from which I must learn." His voice was dry, ironic.

"Isn't this a setback, Taichou?," Matsumoto asked, curious about his apparent lack of indignation. Hitsugaya had worked so hard to earn every ounce of respect he received (due to his age), that setbacks such as this tended to irritate him. She could always feel the cold of his reiatsu when he was that annoyed.

He glanced back in her direction, as if surprised she had noticed. "Eh? No….." He shrugged. "In this time of war, no real charges last."

Matsumoto blinked. "It's not the charges that usually bother you," was her flat response.

"What else would?" He waved a hand negligently in her direction. "I only came by to let you know that you'll be in charge of the division indefinitely until the soutaichou decides to rescind his suspension." He turned back to stroll towards the exit.

"Taichou, where are you going?" Matsumoto's voice was exasperated. "What's going on around here? You've been acting totally different lately!"

"Lately? What's so strange about going to the library?" And with that, he swished out of the office, off to who knew where.

The library? Matsumoto furrowed her brows, thinking. What was at the library?

Hitsugaya and Matsumoto had always had a very unique relationship. Most others looking in often misinterpreted it. It was an easy mistake to make, if only because the two were so close. From the very beginning, their relationship had been relatively informal. This was, most obviously, Matsumoto's fault.

Hitsugaya had walked into the tenth division's office, accompanied by Ukitake-Taichou, who had been his biggest supporter among those recommending him for captainship. Having been a captain for years upon years, Ukitake had decided he was the most knowledgeable concerning members of other divisions and was therefore the best choice to introduce him to the higher-seated officers of Hitsugaya's new division. Though Hitsugaya would never had admitted it, Matsumoto knew he had been extremely grateful, not only for his support, but for the unquestionably helpful role he had played in next few minutes.

Matsumoto laughed to herself at the memory. She was fairly certain it was the first and the last time her Taichou had ever seen her hard at work. It had taken her very little time to snap out of it. It had been the first of many times she had completely thrown Hitsugaya-Taichou's sanity by practically pouncing on him, unintentionally sandwiching his face in the highly embarrassing position (to him) between her over glorified assets.

She had treated him with the same relaxed attitude ever since. It had driven him thoroughly crazy. Eventually, the poor tensai had had no choice but to sit her down, forcibly restrain her with kidou and lay down the law, as it were. The whole conversation had quickly degenerated to a deep heart-to-heart in which he realized her invasively upbeat attitude had resulted from her insecurities regarding abandonment and trust. Through time, it had developed into a full-blown expression of herself. She had also come to understand Hitsugaya-Taichou's insecurities involving how others evaluated his strength. Because he was so young, he was always less regarded and less respected. He had to fight tooth and nail for every bit of proof and evidence of his skills and abilities. Her constant informality tore holes right through his intended facades, ruining his hard work.

What all the new realizations had boiled down to was a simple solution. Matsumoto continued to act as she always had. Unsurprisingly, Hitsugaya-Taichou had continued to respond in the same way. Only now, it was no longer tense and angry-both were relaxed and comfortable with the terms of the relationship. However, when push came to shove, Matsumoto knew when her Taichou needed her serious side. She knew when to play and when to fight. Or rather, she knew when it was appropriate to fight and how far to push the bonds of everyone's patience.

The pair of them were far closer than most captains and vice-captains ever became. It was no longer simply a matter of subordinate and master. Not only could Hitsugaya thoroughly rely on her in any situation, but she knew that Hitsugaya would also support in any way he could. In a strange way, they did love each other. He cared for her in ways he cared for no one else. He did protect her, but he also trusted her to protect herself. She trusted him not to leave. Still, the relationship had never crossed to romance. The feelings and emotions they shared simply didn't converge in that area. There had never been a desire, a chemistry, beyond the friendship. It might have been closer to say that it was like sibling relationship. Brother and sister, together forever. But only when authority wasn't getting in the way, because, in essence, Hitsugaya was entirely able to pull rank on her. There were too many elements of all three types to be any of them individually. Instead, it ended up being one of the most unusual and unique relationships existing. Matsumoto had sometimes reflected on the odd irony that the only two souls Hitsugaya truly cared about were both female and that the all those she cared the most deeply for were all male. An interesting match, the two of them.

Throughout their years of working together they had only grown closer, though less in a communicative sense and more in understanding without words. Very little did they directly encourage each other. Mostly it occurred in an indirect way that respected the others' privacy and constant need for personal silence. Just as Matsumoto knew Hitsugaya inside and out, he knew her.

It was for all these reasons that Matsumoto knew something thoroughly odd was going on with her Taichou. There was no doubt in her mind that he was hiding something. That was nothing new for him. He was always pulling that overprotective vibe where others never needed to know the full story for "their own good." No, what was really confusing was his attitude about it. He was never quite so obvious about it. And if he was hiding his activities why the heck would he tell her where he had been? It made no logical sense. Well, not on the surface anyway. Either he was lying, unlikely, or he wanted her to know. Why would he want her to know?

Wait, he'd just been suspended indefinitely from his captaincy. Why?

And that's when it clicked. Intuition struck and somehow, two random, unconnected thoughts managed to produce the answer.

He was leaving her clues. For some reason, he was unable to tell her directly, meaning she had to go track down the answers. She chewed on the end of a lock of hair, thinking carefully. Okay, so Taichou had been in the library. Obviously, that had to be her next step. What was she supposed to look for? She frowned, standing slowly. Perhaps she was supposed to retrace his steps? Yes, that'd be the only way of knowing for sure what to examine. She strode at a relaxed and easy pace to the library, reviewing mentally how to retrace records. She had only had to do it once, and then, it was during her school days. She barely remembered it now.

Well, whatever, it couldn't be too hard. And she wouldn't be Matsumoto if she didn't just ignore that tiny detail and do it anyway. She laughed at herself internally as she slipped through the doorway to her destination. Good. The library was empty. She walked straight to the computers and slid into the chair in front of the monitor.

She stared blankly at the monitor for about a minute, trying to figure out which symbol was the familiar one she was looking for. What had been the first step again?

It took some time and quite a bit of furrowed brow thinking to retrace her way through the process. But when she finally succeeded in finding what her captain had been looking at-well, it was like finding a gold mine…. Should she have been interested in gold, anyway.

Her taichou had been looking up Aizen's old records! He had retraced Aizen's footsteps the same way she was retracing his. Still, he had clearly looked through quite a bit of Aizen's material. He had gone a lot farther back than she would have expected. Only sheer luck allowed her to realize that the computer also measured the time spent on different files. For some strange reason, it seemed he had lingered on a seemingly random file holding only an innocuous legend. Confused, she opened the file and read the dark little tale.

So…. What? Hitsugaya-Taichou thought Aizen was trying to get into heaven? Based on what? Psychic intuition? He must have found some other corroborating source that had led him here. Otherwise, there was no real purpose to the strange legend. She shook her head, deciding to examine those possibilities more closely later. What else had he focused on?

After all, there was no purpose to her knowing unless he had a specific assignment for her. What she did find surprised her.

Training notes and additives on Komamura-Taichou? He had both drive and tremendous strength. She pondered to herself, gnawing slightly on her bottom lip in that way that drove her drinking buddies crazy (e.g., Hisagi and Kira). He would also be easy to recruit to their cause? Whatever the cause was, she supposed.

Obviously, if Hitsugaya-Taichou was trying to somehow neutralize Aizen's plan, partnering with Komamura made sense. Certainly, he had a vested interest, given his close connection to Tousen-Taichou. She grinned suddenly. Matsumoto had always idly wondered what the precise nature of the relationship between the two captains had been. A bit too close perhaps, she had always thought, laughing. Sobering, she sighed. Maybe they were. Maybe he was just as betrayed as she was.

Now the only real question left was how much to tell Komamura. Standing, she shrugged easily. She was Matsumoto Rangiku! This should be as easy as breathing.

She'd do whatever it took to follow her captain to Gin, if only to understand why he'd left her again, never saying where or why. She'd tell Komamura what she needed him to hear in order to get what she wanted. Nothing more and nothing less.


	10. A Brand New Twist

AN: hey everybody!!!! waves i'm not that late am i??? sniffles well, it's here anyways... the next chapter! and i swear, after this, we are returning to hitsuchan! but i will have to trade a little between hitsugaya and ishida... (because ishida's my secondary main character... he does very important things, honest) okay, this is really important everybody, you paying attention??? i have to extend my update times... once every three weeks... still sunday though... this is because i'm now an ra this semester and i've got more work in my classes than i've ever had before... i'll be super busy... seriously. so for right now, that's the official updating plan... however, if i get it done in two weeks, i'll post it then, eh? it might happen occasionally... just don't get your hopes up too much... and without further ado, chapter ten! btw, this is a huge milestone for me... this is the longest fanfic i've written!

The day dawned bright and early in Karakura Town. The teen, Kurosaki Ichigo, had long been awake, protecting various konpaku from the marauding hollows. It seemed as though hollow activity had both drastically decreased and dramatically increased since his return from the Soul Society. It was a paradox, he knew, but still, somehow quite true. This time, he'd been awake since nearly three, patrolling a neighborhood at least an hour from the clinic. It had been swarming with weak hollows. He'd killed them easily enough, but so many had continued arriving, that he'd been busy until just before dawn. He'd barely had time to get home for his father to clobber him awake. He sighed to himself. He loved his father dearly, but there was no question that the man was one of the more irritating ones on the planet.

Another day of school today. He was never sure how to take school anymore. Because he was now a shinigami, there were many paths open to him. Could he live a life dedicated only to protecting souls from hollows? As satisfying as such a life might be, Ichigo couldn't help but feel the need for something more. And yet there was no question that he could ever be "normal" in any sense. Still, was it even possible to live a double life? Could he have both? At this point, there was no way to decide. He had decided to remain on the fence, in essence. So school was still a necessary requirement. Besides, he didn't mind studying. Mostly.

The only problem with it was he had to ditch occasionally to fight hollows and he could never really catch up on sleep since he was always fighting, studying or training in his spare time. Being Ichigo however, he didn't complain, just shut up and went to school as he always had. He snuck in the window, attempting to be discreet.

"ICHIGOOOOOOOO!," his father shouted, feet first. Ichigo slipped easily to the side, keeping to his habitual frown. "How easily my son dodges all my advances! Is he finally a man?" Rolling his eyes, Ichigo sauntered into the hallway to head down to breakfast. "How does he ignore me so blatantly!? And me his father!" At this remark, Ichigo's father once again launches towards Ichigo.

Ichigo merely held up his fist, allowing his father to run into it. "Too early for that, old man." He quickly snagged a piece of toast and went straight out the door again to go to school. Meanwhile, his father begged the giant poster of his beloved wife why his son was so particularly cruel.

Some things never changed.

The sun rose in a brilliant array of color over the distant horizon. Blue, pink and yellow dawn shaded the skies, decorated the clouds. It was beautiful. Ichigo didn't notice.

He was just crossing into the threshold of school grounds when he felt yet another hollow's presence approaching. Sighing a personal complaint to himself, he slipped off to find a secluded area to hide his body. Sliding around the edge of one of the currently empty gym storage sheds, Ichigo looked around quickly, ensuring his privacy. Luckily, it was unlocked.

It happened as quickly as a blur of wind. A little boy, possibly seven years of age with dark hair and a blue hoodie raced through the door just before it closed, snagging right by Ichigo. "Oi, kid, what are you doing here?"

The kid grinned at him, a disturbing feral sort of smile, and promptly took off through opposite wall.

_A ghost!_

Ichigo stared after him for a second, thoroughly confused, before looking down to reach for his substitute shinigami badge. It took him only moments to realize it was no longer there. The kid! Swearing under his breath, Ichigo tore out of the shed after him. This could only be bad news. Why would a ghost take his death badge? Hopefully the hollow wouldn't cause too much damage while he was distracted like this…. He ran faster.

Following the ghost was in no way difficult, but it seemed as if he was totally unable to gain any ground while in pursuit. He supposed it wasn't incredibly surprising that a ghost would be faster than his human self, but at least he was keeping up.

What was strange was that the boy seemed to be running straight towards the hollow. And the hollow wasn't changing position. _Didn't he know where he was going?_

It was only as he ran in too close to stop that his blood ran cold. He realized the only real explanation there could be. _It was a trap._

He skidded into a view of the small ghost boy standing next to the hollow he had sensed earlier, both of them grinning at him, distinctively pleased.

The hollow in question wore a partial mask covering its left eye and jutting out into the empty space above its head. Its grin was evil, teeth, sharp. It wore pure white that danced fluidly in the light breeze. Eyes glowed red in the burnished white and desecrated flesh.

For flesh it had and human it was. But like no other human and no other hollow, it had human skin and a hollow's power. The spiritual pressure was like nothing he'd ever felt before. Ichigo wasn't afraid…..

And yet he was. Not because he wasn't strong enough. But because the little ghost had stolen his death badge and only means of becoming a shinigami. And it appeared that same brat was on this new hollow's side.

_Now what?_

Ishida Uryuu bolted upright instantaneously, scattering papers and books in various directions.

"Ishida-kun?," questioned Orihime in a puzzled manner.

He gave her a significant look lasting only a fraction of a second before dashing out the door and leaving all of his belongings behind. Orihime blinked after him as the feeling of a hollow's spirit pressure suddenly doubled her over. _Oh. _She ran after him, yelling back to the teacher about a pressing need to use the facilities.

Ishida had already vacated the school grounds and was getting closer every second to reaching the helpless Ichigo. Regardless of the fact that, having lost his own Quincy powers, he was equally useless. _Why hadn't Ichigo changed to a shinigami? _Personally, Ishida was stumped.

He was also fairly clueless as to the reason why he was rushing out into the heart of battle when he had lost his powers. Even now, he felt not a spark of reiatsu within himself. What did he think he would be able to do?

"Ishida-kun, what are we going to do?"

Behind him, Orihime and Sado were running, alert and obedient. They were counting on his abilities. And not his spiritual ones, but his leadership and his cunning.

"I'm not sure yet. We need to know why Kurosaki-kun hasn't changed forms first." They were close now. He signaled the other two to circle around and triangulate the area. Somehow, the reiatsu for this hollow felt very strange.

Creeping carefully down an alleyway, Ishida watched in surprised as Ichigo's human body was tossed through a wall to slam into the far wall of the very same alley. Ichigo's clothes were torn and bloody and he crumpled far too easily onto the concrete below. Ichigo mostly stumbled to his feet, shaking slightly. Blood trickled down his forehead and poured out from the various gashes adorning his body. His breathing came in shallow gasps and he rushed a little forward, charging back to battle.

Clearly, Ishida and company were a bit late to his rescue. _Think, Ishida, think!_

He snuck further down and peered through the hole in the wall to watch to one-sided fight continue. _Why hadn't Ichigo transformed?_

A tall hollow stood in the air, laughing and shooting rays of spirit energy periodically in Ichigo's direction. Frequently, the hollow dove down to punch and kick Ichigo about quite similarly to a rag doll. It had long, burnished crimson hair, not bright but dark. It was dressed in all-white, a feature that accentuated its incredibly pale skin. Only a partial mask was visible, covering the upper left corner of its face and stretching jaggedly into the air above it.

It was the strangest and most confounding thing he had ever seen.

But the strangest part was the human ghost boy of about ten floating in the air next to it. The little boy was grinning evilly, overjoyed by Ichigo's predicament and dangling a small object in mocking tribute. _The shinigami badge!_

_Why did the kid have it? _Ishida didn't know, but what he did know was that it explained why Ichigo was without powers. And what was worse was that Kon was nowhere to be found! Odds were, the mod soul traveling about in a stuffed animal's body was somewhere in Ichigo's house, still moping over the loss of Rukia. There was no time to retrieve him now. They had to get that badge back! Ishida took off running towards where he had seen Orihime circle around.

At that precise moment, Sado ran from his vantage point to spray the unusual hollow with his traditional punching attack. Sado had seen enough of the one-sided fight and refused to sit by and watch as Ichigo was beaten to death.

Ishida could only hope Orihime would not follow his example. Indeed, he arrived only just in time to stop her. "Inoue-san!"

"Ishida-kun, we must help save Kurosaki-kun!" The expression on her face was pained, clearly expressing the difficulty she was feeling, watching the slaughter.

"Listen, Inoue-san. Even together we're not strong enough to defeat this new hollow. We can't just rush out."

She turned back to look at him, worry still covering her face.

"We have to outsmart him. Kurosaki hasn't changed into a shinigami yet. If we can get him transformed, we might have a chance. Body injuries aren't the same on the soul. They're not as strong."

Determination settled over her previously frantic posture and she stood waiting for the plan. "What can we do?"

"He needs his death badge. The ghost child standing near the hollow is holding it. See? We need to steal it and get it to Kurosaki. All he has to do is touch it."

"How can we do that? Do you have a plan?"

Ishida nodded. "It's not the most complex plan, but we're short on time here. Listen, you're fairies are small and quick and fairly unobtrusive. One of them would be our best bet, and while they're off-guard and distracted. Right now, neither Sado, nor Ichigo have much time. I'll help with the distracting and you focus on sneaking up on the boy with one of your fairies to rescue that death badge."

Orihime nodded decisively. "Tsubaki!"

Crossing his fingers mentally, Ishida hoped this would work. He raced straight out into the center of the battle, knocking Ichigo out of the way of a critical shot. The hollow up in the air groaned in disappointment.

"Ughh, not another useless one! And ruined my perfect shot too!" In a more mocking voice, he added, "I swear by my Quincy pride, I'll never forgive you!"

A vein twitched on Ishida's forehead. He may not be all that powerful now, but that certainly didn't mean he couldn't outthink the pathetic creature before him. "Sado-kun, duck, then twist right!"

Sado moved immediately, only narrowly dodging the next attack from the hollow.

"Oh, so you're the smart one then, is it? Well, we'll see how long THAT lasts, shall we?" The hollow laughed, an odd cackling sound, as it rolled back in the air, clutching its sides.

The hollow began targeting the powerless Ishida, who somehow was managing to dodge them, one by one. It was like a game. The hollow only targeted Ishida and only one attack at a time, but there were no restrictions for time between attacks. Ishida would either dodge, or have Sado run interference between them. By this point, Ichigo was almost out cold. They needed that badge soon.

As Ishida dodged more and more attacks, the hollow grew more and more irked. It was beyond irritated by its continuous failure. Ishida tried not to pay attention to Orihime's reiatsu. Hopefully it wouldn't be too long now before Tsubaki managed to steal the badge…..

It wasn't too long before, in the midst of yet another miraculous and physics defying dodge involving flipping at high speed out of the way, that he saw an arrow like projectile slice through the air, snagging the shinigami badge along with it and slamming right into him.

"Tsubaki! You succeeded!"

"Of course I did you stupid Quincy!" Depositing the badge into Ishida's lap, he turned back to the hollow. "Oi! Woman! Are we attacking this guy or what?!"

"Hai!" Orihime stepped out of the shadows and into the central area. "Tsubaki! Koten Zanshun! I reject!"

Simultaneously, Ishida streaked over to where Ichigo was lying, barely believing that his quick thinking strategy had succeeded! The hollow was similarly surprised.

Ishida was but inches away from the practically prone form of Ichigo when an unknown body catapulted him sideways, sprawling him out on the pavement. It slugged him, sending him skidding farther and farther from Ichigo, death badge still in hand.

"Ah, ah, ah, you're a naughty ex-Quincy aren't you," a new hollow's voice stated in a bored tone. Taller and bulkier than the other hollow, it too had human features and a mask that covered the entire right half of his face. Its voice was deep and somehow very menacing. "Much cleverer than this idiot," it added, jerking its head in the direction of the first hollow.

Glancing around, Ishida realized that in the few seconds his back had been turned, all of his friends had been defeated. Orihime was sprawled out unconscious on the far side, a frightening amount of blood pouring from her temple. Sado lay face down, blood pooling from his right side, totally unconscious. He looked up at the new hollow, defenseless.

The hollow grinned at him evilly. "Oh yes, I've already destroyed them. Don't worry, they're all alive. For now. We don't make kills until Aizen-sama orders it. And you!" It turned back to the redheaded hollow. "Aizen-sama will be very irate when he learns of your behavior! You know the boy was supposed to sustain minimal injury!" It growled low in his throat.

The other hollow shrugged. "What does it matter? It's not as if he can't heal him relatively easily. Let's go. This crowd's boring now."

Rolling its eyes and muttering under its breath, the blonde hollow strode over to Ishida. It picked him up by his shirt front. "Listen, don't cause me any trouble and I'll just leave you here, got it? You can't help him anymore, anyway. Do we have an understanding?"

Ishida clenched his jaw in irritation. In no way could he concede, but there was nothing he could do!

"Fine," the blonde hollow sighed. "Have it your way." It snatched the death badge from Ishida's grip and punched him again, which sent him spinning into the nearest brick wall. Stars exploded behind Ishida's eyelids as the hollow grabbed him by his hair and began banging his head repeatedly into the brick. Each blow sent a searing pain through his skull and sprayed blood all over the nearby area. "Just remember, you're the one who didn't want to cooperate," it added nastily. It punched him again, landing him in a puddle on the cracked concrete. He didn't want to know if it was a puddle of water or his own blood. He honestly couldn't see well enough to differentiate by this point.

He struggled pointlessly to try and stand up. "Give it up," the hollow seemed to whisper as all the voices faded out. Everything was graying over to black far too quickly. _No!_

He could barely see as the two hollows and the strange, boy ghost picked up Ichigo's body and carried it with them into the portal to Hueco Mundo.

_No!_Ishida passed out.


	11. Discoveries

AN: hey everybody!! runs behind rock to avoid vegetables and other dangerous objects... i know, i know, it's been forever! here's to hoping this five chapters and then a three-month break thing doesn't become a habit... O.o anyway, chapter's finally done! celebrates. as it's been a horribly long wait, i'm sorry to it's also one of the shorter chapters (as opposed to last time, when it was twice... or something). i've got a few things to say before we get started, and all of them are pretty important, so i'd appreciate you bearing with me... sweatdrops. first off, i know that before this story was top priority. but now, i'm writing about five stories and some occasional one-shots... so i'm negating the top priority thing. so there is no top priority story. pretty much, whichever one i feel most inspired for and has been neglected for a while... so if there's no update after this one in the usual two weeks, that's why. . second... this story's a monster. and by that, i mean, it's like epic, in both plot complexity and sheer length (well, not yet, but trust me, it will be). and though i have the climax very well planned, the in between pieces are not nearly as lucky... so i have finally realized and admitted that i must go back and created a lovely outline for this story... likely, this will also delay the next update. but hopefully, it'll help the story in the long run, with consistency and quickness of updates (no guarantees.). next, i'd like to say that i've started a collab fic with gisela-chan!! we've created our own profile/penname called angst-sunshine and the story is hitsuhina, entitled the message. it's pretty awesome so far... a prologue (mostly me) and a first chapter, (mostly gisela)... basically, it's an awesome mystery story (au and all) centered around momo. where i get to write a lot of angst, which i enjoy. definitely worth checking out. smiles. and now, without further ado, welcome back to toushirou and enjoy! dances.

Hitsugaya Toushirou, tensai captain of the tenth division and the strongest wielder of an ice/water zanpakutou was currently poised on his knees, face right above the toilet bowl, retching into it. His whole body was shaking spasmodically, exhaustion pulling at every muscle while his system attempted to quiet down. Every last bit of him was either bruised, sore or cut in some manner.

And he just couldn't stop vomiting.

It was the constant exposure to the murderous intent that did it. Too much concentrated time enduring it that when it was finally absent, his whole body overloaded while reducing back to normal levels. It was so bad, he had actually considered ruining his pride by visiting Unohana. Only he had a feeling she would be less than pleased with his condition. He figured that particular punishment would be worse than his current predicament. As a result, he barely had the energy to remain upright.

Still, he couldn't help but feel distinctly successful. Not only had everything gone according to plan, it had surpassed his wildest imaginings.

Zaraki Kenpachi was a simple enough man to manipulate once one understood his interests.

Fighting. It didn't matter who, where or why, so long as the opponent was strong enough to make it interesting.

And Hitsugaya had that in spades.

All it took were some not so subtle insults tossed in Zaraki's general direction to give him rise to challenge Hitsugaya. A challenge Hitsugaya took up through sparring. The fight itself had been thoroughly invigorating. Though he had not quite been able to win, neither had Zaraki. In only swords, the two were so close, it positively roused the fighting spirit. Of course, with that kind of incentive before him, Zaraki was dying to take it yet another step farther. He wanted to go all out one on one.

It had been remarkably (or perhaps not, knowing Zaraki) difficult to negotiate him down, but in the end, Hitsugaya had obtained what he wanted.

Training sessions with Zaraki Kenpachi.

And now, here he was, recovering from just the sparring match. Somehow, he didn't think Zaraki was enduring quite the same pain, but then, he had always had a stomach of steel. And Hitsugaya was used to more finesse, less brute strength.

But how amazing had it been! There were no words to describe the pure joy of fighting with the psychotic fellow. It didn't hurt that Zaraki added at the end, right as Hitsugaya had finally escaped, "Well kid, guess you ain't no snowball after all?" Then the demonic light once again reaching his eyes….. "I look forward to beating each other senseless."

Hitsugaya had been seized with the uncontrollable desire to laugh wildly with the sheer exultation running through his veins, but he settled for, "So do I." He had too much self-control to do anything less.

It took him a couple hours to recover, followed by a relatively lengthy nap, after which he felt much, much better.

But only until Matsumoto flashstepped into his quarters, the look on her face illustrating that something grave must have happened.

"Taichou, the soutaichou has ordered an immediate debriefing for all captains, including you. Highly classified. Something has definitely happened, Taichou. I've never seen him quite so….. Well, so urgent."

Paling, Hitsugaya quickly shunpoed to the meeting hall. What could possible have happened? He couldn't imagine. But it must be bad if he needed to break cover.

Had Aizen already made his move? It was long before Hitsugaya would be ready for him. He definitely needed more time to train and recruit his future team members.

Hitsugaya slipped as unobtrusively as possible into the meeting house where the captains were assembling, his worry carefully masked by his traditionally emotionless exterior.

Yamamoto rapped onto the floor three times, indicating the beginning of the confidential meeting.

"Captains," his voice rasped, "we have an emergency crisis on our hands."

The remaining captains stiffened where they stood, coming to greater attention and listening closely.

"Aizen has already made his first move. It's impossible to know whether it's a strike or a continuing accruing of his necessary pieces."

Hitsugaya stared at the soutaichou. What could Aizen have wanted? What had he already done to further his nefarious ends? He knew Hinamori was still safe, so he didn't think it related to getting into heaven at least.

"What happened?," Ukitake-Taichou questioned, voice solemn, but hard as steel.

"One unknown hollow type arrived in Karakura village just 13 hours ago. Apparently employing the assistance of an unknown ghost child, it lured the ryoka boy to an isolated location. According to the information, the ghost child had stolen his badge, preventing him from shifting to his spirit self."

Mayuri was all eyes and ears to the conversation. There had never been records of humans working with hollows before. And certainly an unknown hollow type would provide new experimenting material.

Ukitake had sucked in a horrified gasp. He had been unaware that those other than select captains had known that he'd even given the badge to Kurosaki, let alone Aizen's cronies.

"Some of the other ryoka arrived in time to provide minimal assistance, but were stopped by the arrival of a second hollow, also of unknown type. The ghost boy and the two hollows retreated back to Hueco Mundo with the ryoka, Ichigo Kurosaki, in their grasp, apparently alive." The soutaichou took a moment to look at each of the captains in turn before continuing. "The most disturbing part of all was that the hollows left the other ryoka alive, though wounded heavily. Why?" His most piercing look settled on Hitsugaya, which Hitsugaya understood to mean that the blame for this incident would fall squarely on his shoulders, regardless of whether other captains understood it.

He squared his shoulders, determined that he could bear the burden of it and knowing he had earned it.

"We must know what the traitor wants with such a powerful human. And why he left the others alive. Was there no reason?"

"Are we gonna get him back?," Kenpachi's eyes lit with a fierce glow, clearly illustrating his desire for the fights, not rescue.

Hitsugaya resisted the urge to laugh grimly.

"At this point, I think that would be a very foolish idea. We do not know what awaits us or the boy. We also know very little about the new hollows Aizen has acquired. I think it would be wiser to capture one these hollows for Mayuri-Taichou to examine. I fear that Aizen has already begun trying to use the Hougyoku to alter the nature of a regular hollow."

The soutaichou then rapped the staff on the floor, signaling open forum of ideas from the captains.

Hitsugaya barely listened to the mindless bickering and squabbling. Most of it was simply posturing and he had no interest in it. No, his interest was centered around why the Kurosaki kid was important to Aizen? What did he have to do with any of Aizen's plans? He furrowed his brows, trying to concentrate.

There was, of course, the possibility that the whole thing was a red herring designed to distract from his actual goals. But Hitsugaya didn't particularly think that was an Aizen-type move. Even considering that he'd never really known Aizen at all. So how did Kurosaki figure in to his plans?

Bait?

If that was the case, then for whom?

Experimentation?

Possible, given that Kurosaki was the only shinigami he'd ever heard of who was both human and alive. Very strange combination. Not to mention the unbelievable increase and improvement the boy had demonstrated over only a month period. From zero powers to functional bankai defeating Kuchiki Byakuya. If the rumors were to be believed of course, and they weren't always reliable.

The soutaichou was suddenly rapping on the floor again, regaining control of the meeting. As it was rather unproductive so far. His voice was heavy as he once again dominated the gradually more raucous discussion.

"I am afraid that is not all the information I have to share."

A feeling distinctly like dread settled in firmly around Hitsugaya's shoulder and somewhere in the pit of his stomach.

"Kurosaki has displayed some unusual properties, especially during his battle with Kuchiki-Taichou."

All heads were now swiveled, focusing completely on the soutaichou. The whole of Rukongai could have been dying just outside the door and not a single soul would have noticed.

"He began changing into a hollow."

The bomb dropped.

Hitsugaya felt momentarily weightless, as though there was some bit of information he should be remembering. There was a clue hidden inside this new data that no one had yet put together. Of course, the shock was still flooding his system, so that might be what was stalling it.

"Why would you let Aizen get his hands on a shinigami/human/_hollow _hybrid? Why in name of Soul Society would you _not _tell the _captains _about this knowledge?!," was the angry outburst from Ukitake. He followed it abruptly with a bout of hacking, but Hitsugaya knew everyone was simply grateful he'd actually managed to show up for once.

And that's when the words sunk in, freezing his very blood. The cold of his reiatsu curled out swiftly in ever expanding tendrils as the obviousness of the truth set in.

Somehow, _somehow_, he had not considered or thought of factoring in the theft of Hougyoku into Aizen's plans!

Kurosaki had been taken for experimentation. Finding the boundary for perfect shinigami/hollow hybrids was his goal. And with the Hougyoku, there was no telling what the results would be. Would the boy's personality even remain, after such endured experiences?

All the captains were staring at him and he realized that ice was coating everything in a thick sheet for a three-yard circumference around him.

Apparently, his burst of reiatsu had interrupted Mayuri's musings on wishing he had known about the boy's strange problem before. Hitsugaya was not particularly sorry for that. Particularly in view of what he had realized.

"The Hougyoku," he managed to bite out. Several of the older captains paled, experience having adequately explained the rest. "Why, Yamamoto-soutaichou? Why would you _not _tell us such a key piece of information?!" Especially in view of the role he himself had been given.

"I did not think Aizen knew of this. It was a development no one could have anticipated and was only discovered shortly before his departure."

Hitsugaya could have sworn the cold feeling in the pit of his stomach exploded. He was positive that he was swaying on his feet.

"Hitsugaya-Taichou?," Unohana asked with concern. In fact, all the captains were giving him curious, if not worried gazes.

"No one could have anticipated it," he murmured.

They stared at him, not yet understanding.

"No one could have _anticipated _it," he repeated. "No one. Do you understand what that _means_?"

Ukitake made an odd strangled noise in his throat and the insane laughter of Mayuri could also be heard. Many pale faces and some confused.

"Aizen already knew about Kurosaki being part-hollow. But there was no way for him to know that and no way to anticipate it. There is only one other conclusion. He _planned _it. Somehow, everything's been going according to his plan since the very beginning!"

Soi fon was looking at him skeptically. "There's no guarantee of that. Perhaps he simply thought that a human/shinigami hybrid would give him good clues for a shinigami/hollow hybrid, since neither has been properly done before and might be similar."

Hitsugaya merely looked at her in polite disbelief.

"Oh come on, just because you were nearly killed by him doesn't make him psychic. And how could he have planned something he didn't even know how to do? Answer me that."

Hitsugaya looked past her without responding. His responsibility was towards discovering Aizen's plan. It would do no good to have possible spies (though unlikely), warned about him either tracking it down or his current progress. So he turned attention back to the soutaichou.

"The question still remains what we are to do about this problem? How great of an advantage does that give Aizen?"

And so it went around the circle, always questions without answers. By the end, nothing had been solved, excepting tighter patrols and stepped up training. Everyone needed to be ready.

And, though Hitsugaya was fairly certain no one wanted to admit it, they really needed Mayuri to establish breakthroughs with the new hollows. All of them guessed that Aizen's experiments had already begun and that these were results of Hougyoku induced hybrids. As such, there was no telling what gifts or possibilities they might have. Or even how many.

Despite the meeting having accomplished very little, Hitsugaya felt grateful for it. Valuable knowledge had been gained. Knowledge he should have had much sooner, it was true, but better now than never.

Now he just had another piece to fit into the puzzle.

How did the Hougyoku fit into the legend? Why did Aizen need it?

Why was Aizen so obsessed with the idea of hybrids?

Why Kurosaki? Why Hinamori?

And perhaps the most disturbing, why heaven?

Hitsugaya shook his head forcefully. Sleep, then training, then more questions. He only hoped they could wait.


	12. Author's Update

Hey everybody!! I know, I know, false alarm, this /isn't/ a chapter update… (runs and hides from thrown vegetables) I'm just stopping by to let you know I've fixed a lot of plot holes! I'll be back to school soon, so I'll have more time to write and I hope to get the outline finished by then also. By that point, it'll be much easier to update regularly… (I hope). And finally, in the meantime, I'm going back and editing all the earlier chapters of this fic! Some of the changes will be more epic than others, so some chapters will /really/ see a difference… I really recommend checking them out and I'll try to let you know when one's been done so you can read it…. At this point, the first chapter has been fixed and the second chapter will also likely be done tonight… By the time I /do/ get the next chapter posted, all of them will have been reworked. Anyway, I hope you get the chance to reread a bit and leave me some feedback! (as otherwise the changes will have been for naught, lol). Until then!

Love, Namimakura


End file.
